Bound to Fate
by Kinoha
Summary: Huge AU. Vegeta and Goku grow up on planet Vegetasei and this is their story: friendship, adventures and how they shape up to be the accidental saviours of the universe! Love and women were never easy either. Slow story... Will be VB and GCC much later on
1. Cherry Tree

**A/N: ** This is an AU fic mostly dealing with Goku and Vegeta and their possible alternate lives on planet Vegetasei. Frieza has not yet made an appearance in Saiyajins lives. Much much later on will become V/B and K(G)/CC. This is written in different style than my other fics, just experimenting around a bit... Rated M for violence and blood and all the usual stuff.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own DBZ. Toriyama does so bug him about it, not me!

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**Childhood: Part I - Cherry Tree**

The wall loomed in front of a small, spiky-haired boy, reflecting the rays of sun with its pure whiteness. Made of rare and very valuable stone, the walls surrounding the royal abode of the planet Vegetasei, were considered sacred; the very last defense for the royal family if a war should break out. Kept impeccably clean of mud and the causes of time, they were a magnificent sight.

Kakarotto could have cared less about how great some wall was. At the moment the wall was hindering him from the very goal he was determined to fulfill. Tree tops of fruit trees peeked over the walls, full of juicy cherries of sakura tree. The seven-year-old licked his lips and rubbed his small and dirty hands together eagerly. He was bare feet and dressed in shabby blue garbs: a slightly ripped shirt and pants that only reached to his mid-calf. Black eyes shone with determination and the wild, black and spiky hair pointing to every direction gave him a reckless look of a street child. Technically he wasn't a one but still close enough.

Backing away he readied himself for the jump. Springing forward as hard as his body and energy level allowed, Kakarotto closed the short distance between him and the wall and run few steps up the rough surface of the wall. His bared feet had extremely good holding against the stone. With one final leap he shot upwards his fingers barely catching the edge. Curse words a child of his age should not know slipped past his lips with ease as he pulled himself up.

" Shit... I just can't fly yet..." he muttered, wondering when he'd learn. His father said his energy level wasn't sufficient enough to support such a function yet and it pissed him off to no end for being so weak. Third class by birth; third class by life, went the self-sarcastic adage among the lowest rank and it applied to most of them. Very few ever got promoted to a second class.

His black and intense eyes fixed on the fruits in front of him and he carefully crawled on four across the width of the wall top and quickly disappeared into the thick foliage so none would spot him. If he was caught eating fruits in the royal garden he was equivalent to a very dead person. Reaching for the ripe and red fruits he stuffed his mouth with them; he had last eaten yesterday and he was famished. The juices stained his hands and half of his face.

It was still early in the morning and his father should be back from his purging mission later in the afternoon. If he was still alive... Kakarotto shook that thought out of his head, refusing to think like that. His father was strong and could survive anything! Wiping his mouth of the sticky juices the quivering air caught his attention, just above the wall.

" Oh yeah... no flying into palace just like that..." he spoke to himself, smirking smugly. Flying was prohibited in the capital city as it was in the other big cities to avoid chaos and accidents from happening. Only royals and their personal guards were allowed to fly and the sentries and troops in city grounds ha a permission to fly. If a civilian was caught flying... you guessed it. No more flying in mortal realm, ever. And to avoid commoners from poisoning the palace grounds an invincible force field was cast above and it could stand up to nearly 100 000 of powerlevel! At least that is how the rumour went and many had ended up into regeneration tank for colliding with it in their foolhardy attempts to prove it wrong.

Kakarotto didn't have that problem since he couldn't fly or even float yet. The best he knew was some hand-to-hand combat and he could form minuscule chi blasts. Is father was always away purging and getting the bread on the table; basically keeping them alive and didn't have much time to teach Kakarotto all the fineries of combat.

The small Saiyajin boy's tail waved in vexation and smugness at the same time. His powerlevel was too low to even register as a threat to the royalty so he could pass through the whole damn thing as he liked providing him with the tasty treat: cherries from royal gardens. Snickering to himself, his tail coiled for balance as he reached for particularly ripe-looking fruit.

" Hey! You! What are you doing here!?" an irritated voice yelled with hints of spoiled brat in it trying to sound authoritative. Kakarotto's eyes bulged out of his head and he lost his balance in surprise.

" Waaaahhh!!" He fell flat on his back on the rootstock, all air leaving his lungs at the impact. The fall was good six meters or so anyway. Desperately trying to get air into his lungs, his vision dancing with spots made out a figure of a boy of his age standing there, arms crossed in adult fashion. A deep scowl was etched on his face.

" Hey! I asked you a question! What are you doing!" the boy repeated impatiently and Kakarotto finally could breath normally. He got up, his back aching badly and probably bruised and turned to meet the boys glaring eyes. He crossed his arms in similar manner. The boy was dressed in simple garbs and Kakarotto immediately thought him as one of the servants in the palace. Well, if he was going to die, he was going to do it coolly.

" I am eating the cherries what the hell does it look like, buster!?" he shot back defiantly and the boy recoiled, eyes wide.

" Those trees belong to the royal family!"

" Well no duh!" Kakarotto snorted and cast him a glance like the servant was and idiot. " They grow inside the palace walls in the royal gardens. Who would ever have thought they might belong to the royalty of this planet?! Besides I was hungry!"

" You..." the boy spat venomously and then smirked boldly and in a second his hand was glowing with a pale blue chi blast, pointing it to Kakarotto's face. He didn't even flinch, though inside he was screaming to run away or beg for his life. He forced himself to talk even if his mouth was parched dry.

" So ya gonna blast me with that little candle light, ey? Doesn't exactly bring the cherries back... eaten what's eaten." Kakarotto shrugged and watched the boy's eyes widen even more in astonishment. What was the big deal anyway? Slowly, the other boy lowered his hand and the energy dissipated quickly. He then smirked at Kakarotto's confused expression.

" It looks like we're here for the same reason... this is one of the most secluded corners of the royal area, close to the East side of the city, the slums, so no one bothers much with this area..."

" I've noticed..." Kakarotto smirked looking around flagrantly and relaxed, deciding he could introduce himself to this servant boy. " By the way... I'm Kakarotto." He stuck out his hand in a trusting gesture and once again was rewarded with shocked and widened eyes. The other boy hesitated slightly before taking his hand in a firm grip.

" I'm, uh, Ve?" he said and Kakarotto looked at him oddly. Why that sounded more like a question than an introduction? He decided not to care about such trivial thing and cringed in sudden pain.

"Gah..." Kakarotto snatched his hand away from the crushing grip. " Aw hell... you've got some grip there, man!" He flexed his fingers experimentally and found out nothing was broken. He really couldn't afford to break his hand for healing it would blow away his little family's budget. His heart stung with the fact that a mere handshake was bringing him down. Ve looked at him in contempt.

" You're pretty weak, aren't you?" the other boy almost laughed.

" So what? It's not like I can friggin' help it! Dad has no time to train me since he's always away purging some Saruyandamned planet to keep us alive!" he yelled angrily, glaring with fire in his black eyes. Ve frowned and then shrugged, his face dissolving into a greedy smile.

" Now let's eat those cherries, boy!" He flew up with grace and sat on the sturdy branch.

" Hey! I have a fucking name you know! It's Kakarotto, you dimwit!" Kakarotto told him bitingly and watched in satisfaction as Ve in his shock lost balance and fell. To his utter dismay though, Ve caught himself in midair, seeing he could fly. Kakarotto stared defiantly up at him. " Help me up."

" What? Don't you who--- why should I?!" Ve argued still stuck on the fact the little beggar brat had insulted him with such vulgar common language.

" It's your fault I am here for if ya hadn't startled me I wouldn't have fallen into this stupid dump!"

" Hey, it's not stupid place! It's the highly appreciated royal gardens! Many would kill to get even a peek inside!"

" Anyway, stop the prattle and help me up!" Kakarotto demanded.

" Fly by yourself! I am no one's servant!" Ve huffed and turned to the tempting fruits once again. Kakarotto could almost feel the stinging in his eyes as he battled between anger and shame.

" Shut it! I can't fly, damnit!" he turned away, arms crossed and waiting for the laughing fit that usually followed when someone found out he couldn't fly at the age of seven.

" What! How can it be you can't fly? Everybody can fly!" Ve bellowed surprised and in a naïve way that made Kakarotto cringe. Just in what kind of cotton this guy had grown up in?

" Well, I can't, period! My powerlevel isn't high enough to sustain the flight! Besides, dad hasn't had time to teach me that yet!"

" But flying requires so little energy..." Ve muttered astonished, gazing down at Kakarotto. The boy was about the same height as he was with a customary black eyes and black, spiky hair that all Saiyajins expect very few possessed. He was dressed in crude light blue garbs, ripped and dirty, his feet were bare, dirty and bruised. The boy seemed healthy but he was skinnier than average boy of his age.

" How old are you, Kakarotto?" Ve queried suddenly, deciding to be the initiative this time. " I'm eight."

" Seven," Kakarotto muttered and Ve floated in the air scrutinizing him. Yep, the boy was younger than him but he should be more trained and built than that. He couldn't fly so his powerlevel couldn't be that high and he was lanky and lacking most of the muscle mass a normal Saiyajin child of his age should have. At least all the children of seven Ve had seen in his life had been in better condition. He absently tugged at his clothes he had taken from Nappa's son. They were that of servants so could it be possible that the boy didn't realize whom he was talking to?

Growling Ve sighed and scooped the younger boy up. " Oh fine..." he dropped the grateful Kakarotto to one of the lower branches and flew up, where the tastiest cherries grew. Sitting on the highest branch, waiting for the other boy to show up, he could see over the palace wall, to the slums. East side of the city was mostly run-down and all the third classes lived there. It didn't look that bad. The houses only weren't as big and comfortable as the ones in the west where all the elites first class and the second class lived. Despite the strange areas formed by the classes everybody mingled around; third classes walking the elite block to their jobs and elites going to third class world to get kicks out bar fights and the 'sinful life' as it was called. The main entrance of the palace was in the west and side entrances went south and north. Ve gazed at all this, not knowing anything else but the fact that houses weren't as good as the ones in the west side.

" Hey, Ve! Wake up!" Kakarotto yelled and Ve looked down, questioning." Ya were spacing out there," came Kakarotto's yell.

" So? Come up here. How can you be so slow?" Ve said irritated and heard Kakarotto snort derisively. Then with one leap he grabbed the next branch and skilfully demonstrating series of volt and acrobatics made it to the top branch in few seconds. Ve watched eyes wide. Even he couldn't perform such acrobatic movements or be so agile and firm-footed in such environment as a sakura tree.

Kakarotto smirked smugly and reached for cherries and then stuffed his mouth with them, chewing happily. Ve shrugged and then began eating the cherries in a graceful manner. They ate the nearby branches empty of their fruits and Kakarotto patted his stomach happily.

" Phew hell... I really needed that."

" How so? Ve asked, wiping the juices off his hands to the smooth bark of the tree.

" Dad's been away in some extra long mission and I ran out of money few days ago and I haven't eaten since then... it should have lasted longer but dad should've been home three days ago anyway... I am not fit enough to steal anything from the market place, yet, so I opted for the cherry trees instead... lucky you came Ve. Getting out would have proved to be fucking problematic otherwise!" the younger boy grinned mischievously at Ve and scratched the back of his head.

" You gotta be kidding me..." Ve said incredulously. How could anyone go without food for more than a day? " Wait! How did you get in? There's this field that prevents everybody from flying in or out! How did you pass it!" Ve bellowed then, sounding weirdly worried about it. Kakarotto shrugged nonchalantly.

" The powerfield grid covering this are is rumoured to stand up to over the sum 100 000 of powerlevels," Ve puffed up proudly and Kakarotto ignored him," so my theory is that it's strung so high to prevent attacks of great chi concentration so a small fry like meself can pass it no problems. The field won't even register my presence. Neat huh? Some good by having an extremely low powerlevel, ey?" he smirked audaciously while Ve stared at him suspiciously.

" What's your powerlevel then?"

Kakarotto eyed him suspiciously and bristled up. " So what's yours, huh, buster?"

" Why you..." Ve looked seriously offended for he had caught the veiled insult that suggested he was very low of level. He had to play it cool now...

" Fine. I tell mine; you tell yours. Deal?" Ve extended his hand. Kakarotto grabbed it without any hesitation and shook it firmly. He didn't day a word but Ve could read all he needed in the boys fiery black eyes.

" 365," Ve said, unnoticed he crossed fingers behind his back and looked almost disgusted that he had to reveal it to the other boy. Of course he was lying about it; his level was way beyond that.

" 72..." Kakarotto murmured and Ve almost fell off the tree. He bit back a shocked scream of '72!' quickly.

" Whoa... no wonder you can't fly... so that would make you a... let's see... a third class?"

Kakarotto nodded and the noted. " So does your powerlevel too."

" Point taken!" Ve said before the another semi-argument could bloom between them and quickly changed the subject. " You said you lived...?" he started politely as he was taught to do and received a strangely blank look from Kakarotto.

" Did ya bang your head on some branch when you flew up? I never said where I lived. But now that you want to know my house is about a kilometre from this wall. Briefly, I live pretty much in middle of the east side... you?" the younger Saiyajin said deadpan and Ve felt the urge to hit his head against the trunk. Of course a dirty, stupid third class brat wouldn't understand politeness and correct etiquettes and those were probably lost to him anyway.

" Eh... lived my whole in palace... as a servant... I don't know much about the city."

" Oh poor you..." Kakarotto said and really meant it.

" Well, poor but well-fed!" Ve said acidly and Kakarotto only gave him 'like I believe you and whatever' -look. The bell chimed indicating it was nine and Ve suddenly shot up straight.

" Oh no! I'm late from my tr- duties! I gotta go!" Ve bellowed and jumped down.

" Wait, Ve! Wanna meet again and see my house? I think I won't be welcome friend in the palace...!" Kakarotto yelled and Ve stopped like he had run into a wall.

" Meet again... like friends?" he sounded weird.

" Hell yeah! Why not? You'd gotto see da city and all! I could use a friend and company since dad's gone... How about tomorrow the same time?"

Ve seemed to ponder it carefully, like torn between to sides. " Oh fine! Six o'clock it is then for I have to be back by nine or my old man will have the hugest cow on the planet!" he yelled finally and ran towards the palace.

" See yaa!" Kakarotto waved and hopped from the tree to the wall top.

Checking none was in sight he jumped down to the deserted alley and quickly made a run for it. This was one of the most dangerous parts of the east side even in the plain daylight. Kakarotto wondered how the palace staff and guards would react if they knew just what was going on the alley beside the wall. In the nights the moon would cast it's silvery beams to the wall and it would glow silver white an oddly pure background for all the skimpy glad whores, pimps and illegal crimes committed in the alley. Rape, murder, kill and all the other sins. It was called the Silver Alley just for that effect in the night. The moon always shone from the east so it was the only wall ever to glow silver and white and no one knew what it was expect third class and few second classes. On Vegetasei the moon stayed in the sky in the same spot but it was full only once in five years. The Silver Alley was a legend among the citizens and other cities as well knew of the legendary Silver Alley where you could buy whores to fulfill your darkest fantasies, order a kill, rape and kill if you wanted, for no one stopped you. It was a place for everything illegal; you came there to die; to live.

The legend said that the street glowed pure silver and it was straight and long, ending abruptly on both ends, like cut with a knife, a piece of heaven and hell mixed together, brought on mortal realm. It was said to be located where no one thought it would exist, yet it was right in front of everyone. You just had to see past the truth. Many sough for it to prove it's existence and never found it; others stumbled across it accidentally forever staying silent either dead or just knowing but keeping the legend alive.

The light reflecting the wall created an optical illusion, deceiving even the sharpest pair of eyes. You could stand a step outside from where the Alley began and see only an empty street. When you took the step inside you saw the hustling and bustling and the silvery glow of the wall on the background. Many claimed this unnatural phenomenon to be created with supernatural abilities and even with the help of such thing called magic... weird long ago forgotten skill and word...

Living only a kilometre away Kakarotto was well baptized to what exactly was going on that deserted street at nights. His tail curled almost painfully in fear as he scurried to his home as fast as his legs carried him.

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Five past nine Vegeta stood in attention and his trainer Nappa and few generals stepped into the vast royal training room seeing him there ready for the battle. The generals were here to see how well he had progressed and how his powerlevel had risen since the last time. They stood in attention as King Vegeta made his appearance in the room.

" At ease," he commanded and looked sternly at his son whose face was unreadable as ever; no emotion present whatsoever. He smirked. The boy was learning quickly.

Vegeta could only stare emptily at the group of adult Saiyajins, talking amongst themselves. He knew what this meant: a test for him to see if he was ready to expand his knowledge on combat or did he need his training more rigorous and harder so he'd learn the lesson. Oddly, he wasn't so phased as he should have been. His mind was working in the mysterious encounter that had ended only five minutes ago. To think such weaklings existed in Saiyajin race! 72! no wonder the field didn't alert or repel the boy and render him into a burnt crisp. This worried him a bit, but he didn't see this detail belonging to his father or anyone else for that matter. Their impenetrable shield wasn't invincible anymore... But he'd get to see the city and how the commoners lived, finally! That Kakarotto sure was coming handy... a third class loser who knew everything about the city.

When he'd know enough he'd just kill the boy away. It's not like the planet will miss one failure child anyway. That brat deserved it anyway! How could he not recognize his prince! He was prince Vegeta, future ruler of all Saiyajins! Vegeta was used to being noted for what he was everywhere he went in the west and south side of the city. All elites and first classes were required to know his face and act upon seeing it accordingly. Not yell and talk back like Kakarotto! Friends? Yeah right! He needed no one as is friend! Vegeta was absolutely dying for the morning to come so he could go and see the city himself, almost alone with no restrictions!

He still couldn't believe he had lied about his powerlevel. Disgusted shivers ran all over his spine. 365! How could he let such despicable number escape his mouth, he didn't know. His powerlevel was nearly 3000, highest reading ever recorded for an eight year old in history! But he reluctantly admitted he had had fun, the encounter bringing some change into his otherwise planned day schedule.

Absently ducking a punch he countered, his mind not in the fight, reacting purely on instinct he didn't know he had. The morning had started like they always did: he woke up, sneaked into the garden in servant's clothes to eat fruits and other edible things that grew there. Forbidden treats as he called them, feeling himself doing something forbidden and wild. This morning he had decided to eat cherries and headed to the most secluded corner in the garden where he knew sakura trees grew. Imagine his surprise when he found strangers eating his legal cherries up in the tree...

Vegeta wanted to deny how much the other boy had surprised him with the language he used and the few facts he told about his life. Vegeta seethed inside at the skill Kakarotto had demonstrated while climbing the tree. He'd train to be better, sure! The young prince suddenly woke up from his reverie as his fist connected with Nappa's chin rather hard. Taken aback by the sudden vehemence the stronger Saiyajin brute recoiled back. This rose a murmur out of the onlookers, sounding impressed.

Vegeta blinked, quickly masking his own awe at what he had done so easily. Instead he smirked proudly, the day just couldn't get any better!

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**A/N:** Honestly... no idea when the next chapter will be up. Toodles until then!


	2. The city and The thievery

Disclaimer: I don't own.

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**Childhood: Part II – The city and the thievery**

Vegeta yawned. He was in a cross mood because he needed to wake up earlier than he should be ever forced to. Growling he sat in the cherry tree, waiting for that Kakarotto to show up. The morning was chilly and the street below on the other side had something ominous about it, Vegeta couldn't put his hands on it, but it bothered him. It felt... dangerous. Shivering slightly in the same servant clothes he had worn yesterday the cold morning air was biting him in the ass.

" Where's that blasted third class..." he muttered and looked around. Absolutely no one was in sight. A sudden movement caught his eyes and Kakarotto ran into the sight, his eyes noting everything. He didn't notice Vegeta but he seemed as if he was all the time little afraid to Vegeta.

" What took you so long!" Vegeta hissed from the tree and Kakarotto looked up frowning.

" Hi to you too! I'm on time. You're just being an early ass in the cold!" With that he started running towards the white wall. Vegeta wondered for a moment had the boy lost it and was trying to kill himself by running into a wall but to his utter surprise Kakarotto ran up the wall and with a final leap got the hold of the edge and pulled himself up, now crouching on the wall.

Kakarotto noted his stare and smiled, " I told ya I can't fly, damnit Ve! How else you expect me to move around? Swimming? Now come on! This district isn't the best place to hang around even in daylight!"

Vegeta bit back a biting comment and decided to concentrate on the matter at hand. " How I am supposed to cross the wall's field?"

" Nah, doncha worry, my friend, about that," Kakarotto remarked mysteriously and stood up. " All you have to do is to crawl form between my legs. There's no field there since I'm blocking the signal!"

Vegeta's face was one of utter horror. Crawl between his legs? No way! But it was his only way to the city...! Swallowing his pride and humiliation he wordlessly slipped from under his legs and jumped down on the muddy street. Kakarotto soon joined him and landed on the ground soundly as he couldn't use his chi to soften the fall.

" Now let's go, Ve! He announced with vigour and Vegeta nodded. The prince was about to take off, Kakarotto grabbed his arm. " What are you doing? Only elites, guards and first class are allowed to fly as they want! We can't fly outside the training grounds, remember, or we'll be killed on the spot!"

Freezing on the spot Vegeta nodded dumbly. There was a rule like that? Like reading his thoughts Kakarotto answered, " Yeah... who the hell ever came up with that shit must be a total asshole...! Now let's scram!" Kakarotto started jogging fast, dragging Vegeta behind him. The prince soon manage to gain the control of his own legs and started jogging alongside his supposed friend. He smelled the dusky and cold air and to him it smelled like freedom and for a second he was ecstatic until faint scent of freshly spilled blood reached his nostrils.

" Blood?" he asked to himself and Kakarotto nodded darkly.

" A fight got out of hand at night in a local bar. Many died," he explained, sounding grave. " Obviously those lazy asses haven't cleaned up yet properly," he added as a side note as they passed the bar where the fight had taken place. It was in shambles, burnt by chi and reeked of ale, sweat and blood. His eyes were wide for a second and he turned his gaze away. He was no stranger to a sight of blood in the training room but the whole setting around him made it stomach turning experience. He looked down and wished he hadn't; the sandy street was red with dried blood... And he was walking on it. Pacing his gait to a faster one he soon ran side to side with Kakarotto, who didn't seem to be bothered that much.

" Heh... were relatively safe right now..." he turned and flashed him a smirk and Vegeta noted he had a huge bruise almost covering the left side of his face.

" What happened to your face, Kakarotto?" he asked and the younger boy touched surprised his cheek.

" Oh this...? I accidentally collided with some first class guards and they hit me out of the way."

" Oh..." Vegeta uttered and they continued walking with Vegeta making question and Kakarotto answering them to his best ability. The town was absolutely amazing to Vegeta who had only ever traveled in a carriage to meet some rich elite his father was friends with in the west side. All the smells and people mingling about their business. Old, young and children all moved in the streets working, spending their leisure day, most of them third classes since they were in the deep maze of shacks and slums with no real planning or map of the area. Shops and houses lined the streets and there were tables where everyday things were sold and people haggled and debated. Vegeta noted that most of the third classes bore bruises and some cuts on them.

Drunk people staggered in the streets singing, yelling and otherwise expressing rude things and the guard nonchalantly knocked them out and left them laying on the street. Vegeta could only rise an eyebrow at this happening and Kakarotto only laughed at his expression. They finally arrived at the east side's square market and Vegeta's mouth dropped in awe.

" Hey Ve, stop gaping like a drowned fish I need to get some food before I die from starvation," Kakarotto punched him slightly in the arm and he growled don't punch me and then asked.

" How you plan on getting food? I though you said you have no money?"

Kakarotto smirked again in a mischievous way that Vegeta was beginning to associate with Kakarotto and he suddenly felt like this was going to be good and entertaining.

" Who said anything about buying, ey?" he said and Vegeta's eyes widened.

" You're gonna steal?" he whispered huskily, his voice gone." But stealing is---"

" Wrong? So is denying people their daily food! It's not like I am given an option now am I?" Kakarotto glared at him challengingly. Vegeta humphed though he was excited about stealing something. He had never even thought about it until now. He had all his life had everything he could wish for so stealing something for one's life was not familiar thought for him.

They wandered the market place and marked few good food booths that sold bread and meat with some fruits. Noting everything that seemed worthwhile they sat down in a corner ready to strike, or at least Kakarotto was.

" So good! When I am getting the bread you can get the meat!"

" What! I though you'd do the stealing!"

" Nuh huh! Ya're gonna help me! I can't do this alone! And finally what's with the accent and formal speech? Your sire strict on manners and wants you to rise in rank? Anyway... what, you scared?"

" Wha-what?" Vegeta repeated dumbfounded. His accent and way of speaking was perfect as prince's should but now a thought of it distinguishing him from the crowd entered his head and he decided to start speaking differently. After all, is this was gonna continue he needed to blend in as a citizen, not as the spoiled prince of the entire planet. And his dad surely didn't want him to rise in rank in next ten years... and he was not some scared pussy cat!

" Oh fine! I'll do it!" he threatened and Kakarotto cast another weird glance his way, grimacing.

" Pu-lease, Ve stop the 'oh fine' thing... it sounds so gay and formal... how about fucking fine, instead?" he suggested and Vegeta growled on verge of blasting the impudent boy to smithereens.

" Gay...? Fucking fine then!" he bellowed at the younger boy who fell on his back as Vegeta screamed at him.

" See? I knew you could do it!" he grinned evilly and Vegeta found himself smirking back, completely taken by the moment of companionship to remember he was just using the boy to accomplish his selfish goals. A turning point in his life was at hand and after that he would never be the same again. The young prince felt unbelievably giddy. It was the first curse word he had ever uttered in his life. He swore his language arts teachers would be probably fighting in the clutches of a heart attack had he heard... at least Vegeta hoped so. The man was so dry it was a miracle itself he didn't crumble into pile of sand any day!

"Let's go!" Kakarotto's excited voice sounded. Vegeta nodded and grinned in anticipation. Going their separate ways into crowd which conveniently provided shelter for them for their task. Stealing food was easy they both noted and giddy with their accomplishments were headed for the planned meeting place when they both bumped into a huge, fat, first class soldier, who stepped between them from the crowd just as they were about to meet and brag about the success of their feat. Falling on the ground the meat, fruits and bread scattered and the guard turned around angrily glaring at them.

" Wah! Sorry sir I was just carrying mom's buyings blah blah..." Kakarotto started a huge flood of explanations while Vegeta quickly gathered the fallen stolen food. They were lost, this was supposed to happen and the plan was blown but luckily Kakarotto seemed to be talking their way out of it. Vegeta had just picked up the last fruit and the man was glaring at them like he was about to stick them into a spike, grill them and then eat them alive, when a yell sounded.

" Guard! THIEVES! THEY'RE THIEVES! GET THEM!" A first class saleswoman screamed loudly and the whole market place was suddenly looking at them. Vegeta and Kakarotto's eyes bugged in panic. The man towering over them smirked evilly and Vegeta felt his knees go weak in fear. Sure Nappa was bigger and meaner and Vegeta knew he was maybe stronger than this brute but the whole situation made him freeze up.

" What fucking now?" he asked in a high-pitched voice, sweat forming on his forehead.

" Uh, run?" Kakarotto squeaked. Split second later Kakarotto had kicked the guard on balls and they were running full speed in the crowd, not even glancing back at the funny sight of a big man doubled over because of a third class brat-thief.

" Why you couldn't look at where you were going! NOW COLLIDE WITH A FUCKING BIG ASS FIRST CLASS GUARD! IDIOT!" Kakarotto howled a he heard shouts of the sentries to capture them.

" NOT MY FAULT! YOU BUMBPED INTO HIM TOO, DIMWIT!" Vegeta argued back running solely on his muscles, the use of chi never even entering his head as he had told himself the whole day he was a third class and thus didn't have that great power.

" SHUT UP AND RUN! I DON'T WANNA LISTEN TO YA AT THE MOMENT!"

" FUCKING FINE THEN!" Vegeta growled back and they slipped into an alley they guards after them. The chaser soon lost the sight of them and their powerlevels really weren't that high to register to their scouters. The boys stopped to catch their breath, thinking they had lost the guard but were soon proved wrong as a group of shouts 'there they are!' rang in the air.

Eeping the duo continued their running, managing to outrun and outwit the guards many times they spent the good portion of the day running around the third class district and east side Kakarotto commenting how he used to walk to shop here with his dad and how he got beaten up in that corner or what fight had erupted in which bar. The area and the uncharted street were soon very familiar to Vegeta who only needed to follow Kakarotto to learn all the secret short cuts.

They panted in exhaustion, but they really had gotten over the stage where you felt tired and now they only kept running because their prides didn't allow them to stop and fail. They once again turned into some alley and stopped for a breathed in middle of it.

" Damnit Kakarotto! I swear we've ran through this alley at least ten times...!!" Vegeta pated painfully, his heart beating like drum.

" Actually twelve times..." Kakarotto told him and Vegeta groaned, his hand reflexively clutching the stolen food to his chest. Never in his life had he felt so spent, not even after three hours of sparring with Nappa. His legs felt like logs and he just wanted to slump on the ground and fall asleep, and damn the guards and the consequences.

" There you are, brats! There's no escape now!"

" Oh shit...!" They mouthed in unison as the whirled around and saw both ends of the alleys full of guards. Most guards would have given up hours ago but obviously being outsmarted, outrun and humiliated by two low class children didn't bode well with first class noble guards. Got on their pride, seemingly.

" Hiih!" Kakarotto winced as the both groups started running to wards them with crushing force chi blast growing and ready to be released in their hands.

" A door!" Vegeta shrieked and they dove for the door at the dirty wall. A back door of some sort. The duo managed to crash in the half-rotten wooden door and run yelling in the soldiers right after them. Straight into the most shocking sight of their life.

" Oh my poor virgin eyes! Oh my ears!"

" Oh my virgin ears! Holy shit! My poor virgin eyes!"

Shrieking, they ran blindly through the nearest door to another even more shocking room and then outside of the nearest window, their tails resembling bottle brushes in the state of shock. It was a bordello alright. The guards rather stayed to see the porn show going on than chase two insignificant brats anyway... I mean naked dancers in erotic poses versus chasing two brats? The first one clearly weighted out the latter...

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" That... was the most disturbing scene I've ever seen..." Kakarotto managed to utter as he and Vegeta sat against a wall, staring into emptiness, in shock. Vegeta surely hadn't ever in his wildest thought his day with Kakarotto would turn out like this, with such events.

" Kakarotto..."

" What... I wanna sleep..." he mumbled in response. "... and forget about 'that'...!!"

" We did it!" Vegeta said triumphantly shoving the fruits and meat under Kakarotto's face. " We stole them and didn't get caught! We shoved up those jerks!"

" Whoa you're right! Cool! I almost forgot how hungry I was!" With that the boys tore into their food and to Vegeta it was the best food he had ever tasted. He had worked for it, hell almost literally died for it and here he was eating it...! Slurps and grunts were heard the food disappeared into hungry mouths. They ate quickly and then Kakarotto expediently found a roof top and they drank water from a barrel placed on roof top to gather the rain water to drink from.

" Hey Ve! Wasn't I supposed to show my house?" Kakarotto asked Vegeta after they had rested on the warm sun rays on the roof top hidden by a fabric folded over to beams.

" Yeah... I wanna see where you live... too bad I can't come to you but you have to come get me... damned field..." Vegeta answered sourly. He was already planning tomorrow and how to spend it in the city with Kakarotto, learning more and having fun.

" Let's worry about it later now let's go, Ve!!" Kakarotto waved his hand dismissively and the two set off to Kakarotto's house. After half an hour of walking they arrived in front of a small shack and Kakarotto walked in. Vegeta followed him curiously. What he saw shocked him to no end. It was only one gray room with a small kitchen in the corner, a low table in middle of the room surrounded by worn and dirty pillows. An old cupboard stood off to the back wall and practically the whole floor was littered with sheets, pillows and mattresses. A lonely lamp hung from the ceiling not giving off any light. Some dirty clothes were scattered around and most of the light filtered through the dusty window.

" Take your shoes off... I don't want you to walk on our bed."

" Bed?" Vegeta questioned and looked around.

" Yeah.. the whole floor is the bed. Dad says we're 'floor people' you know. We don't need any chairs or high tables to live. Besides you can sleep wherever you want!" the spiky-haired boy announced happily.

" Uhm... where's the bathroom?"

" We don't have one. We are on rent as are the houses on this block. There are two common toilets we use... spoken of the rent... dad better come home soon or we don't have a house anymore." A note of worry colored the young Saiyajin boy's voice as he looked around frowning. Vegeta immediately understood how sacred and dear Kakarotto's small home was to him and was still trying to get over his astonishment that people could live like this.

Vegeta walked around with wonder and spotted a mirror hanging from the wall above a small table with few belongings and pictures on it. What the mirror reflected was not what Vegeta was used to seeing from the mirror. Instead of a neat and graciously dressed prince in finest armor with silver and gold linings and hair shining and taken care of; a very picture of wealth and power. Now his hair was messy and dusty, his face was smudged and he was dirty all over. Various scares and bruises on his arms and knees indicated how well adrenaline kept pain in check. He had obviously gotten them during their run. Slowly his face turned from a scowl to a wild smirk of recklessness.

He definitely was coming back tomorrow!

Curiosity getting the best of him he looked at the pictures and found a picture of a pretty woman smiling at the camera lovingly. The next picture was a group photo. A tall man resembling Kakarotto with a scar on his cheek had a hand around the woman in previous picture, wearing a smirk he had so many times seen on Kakarotto's face. In the woman's arms were two small babies their tails curled around the mother's arms. In front of them stood a boy around ten years of age, resembling father in face and having his mother's hairstyle.

" My family," Kakarotto said quietly and Vegeta cast him a glance.

" My mother and father and brothers."

" Brothers? Where are they now?"

" Raditsu moved away and joined the military since he was born with the powerlevel that of a first class baby. He now lives somewhere in the west area, I don't know where. I think he's a soldier in King's army. Haven't heard of him in six years... Mom's dead... died shortly after giving birth to me and Turles . She was sent on a mission and obviously failed. Turles was sent off world to conquer some planet because he was the stronger one of us twins. I was so weak... I think they let dad keep me cause they wanted to see how well a weakling like me would survive... I have only dad left." He clenched his fists in frustration.

" Hgn..." Vegeta gurgled at this piece of news, not knowing what he should say or do.

" Well, I guess it doesn't matter... dad's here... it's not like mom and Turles could help their deaths..." He shrugged and the clock distantly chimed it to be near five in the after noon.

" FIVE ALREADY! OH SHIT! I NEED TO GET BACK!" Vegeta panicked after hearing the clock. He surely didn't want anyone on his secret. He intended to keep this secret until his death...! Sure he had gotten day off because he had done so well against Nappa but the family dinner was always at five and if he were late...!

" Oh fine let's go!" the third class said tightly and they made mad dash to the wall. Kakarotto understood very well that servants who didn't do their jobs got probably whipped to death so he hurried up. Making sure no one spotted them on the deserted street Vegeta flew up with Kakarotto and placed him on the wall and crawled inside form between his legs.

" See ya tomorrow, ok! The same time!" He yelled as he ran towards the looming palace building seeing Kakarotto only nod in response before his spiky head disappeared. It was evening enough for the preparations for the night to start and Kakarotto ran home once again. He cursed the existence of the Silver Alley. Why that legendary place had to be located just there?

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A/N: Nothing to say... this is one damn huge AU... we'll see into what direction this'll develop...


	3. Father

**A/N:** I had this chapter written sometime ago and decided to post it before I start working on my others... (winces) Goddamn they're neglected, hehe...

**Disclaimer:** Kinoha doesn't own! If she did she wouldn't be about to tortur... eh, have a nice little chat with the lawyer tied... I mean, comfortably seated in her living room sofa...!

**Warnings:** Cursing and stuff.

**Childhood: Part III – Father**

Kakarotto opened the door and stepped inside, glad to be inside. For the clock was now nearly eight in the evening. He had stolen some more bread and that little side trip had taken nearly three hours, way longer than he had calculated. The night life of the streets was just beginning and that's when the east side showed its ugly side dangerous to anyone weak or slow: children and old were the usual victims. Kakarotto knew he was weak and slow and definitely didn't want to end up as some freak's plaything.

" Isn't it dangerous for you to be outside at this time, ey Kakarotto?" came a voice and the small boy froze. In the pillows lay a man dressed in cracked and bloodied armour, smirking slightly at him. The resemblance between them was stunning.

" Dad?!" Kakarotto whispered.

" No, it's monkey's uncle! Of course it's me!" Bardock snorted sarcastically and then smirked. " Well be living mighty fine off for a while..." he gesture weakly with his fingers to the table where sat a pouch full of money.

" Great for I was starving!" Kakarotto announced and carefully made it next to his sire. " You're injured..."

" It's nothing I haven't handled before... did ya get enough food, Kakarotto?" Bardock looked worried a bit but his son just smiled mischievously and produced a loaf from behind his back. Few bites had been eaten of it, though. Bardock sighed in relief.

" Good, I feared you'd run out of money..."

" I did... I stole today's food..." he admitted and waited for an angry outburst but instead his father laughed mockingly. " Really shoved it up those bastards asses, ey? Did ya make sure it was a first class seller?" Bradock smirked as Kakarotto nodded smiling, pleased.

" But I had help too... I've found a friend Dad! His name's Ve!" the young Saiyajin announced happily his tail waving around with his emotion. " I'm meeting with him tomorrow... I know I could bring him to meet you! You haven't trained me in a long long time! I wanna learn more...!!!" his son continued to blab and tel everything they had done and he had had fun and Bardock couldn't stop laughing for whole ten minutes after Kakarotto told him about their little bordello incident. Soon the little brat was dead asleep next to his sire and Bardock ate half of the loaf. It sure had been a close call this time with this purging mission...

" Oh good..." Bardock smiled at all his son had told him. Kakarotto didn't have any friends and he was unbelievably weak even for a third class and Bardock had to say he was secretly very proud the boy had managed to make it this far in life. His son was resilient survivor. He had the inner fire and spirit many great warriors lacked. He had come to conclusion the boy needed just time to realize his full potential and learn to fight. Just how many third class seven year old out run a battalion of first classes? Kakarotto may not have realized it himself but he was extremely skilled in acrobatics and his endurance was almost impossible.

He really looked forward seeing this friend Kakarotto had made for it took other to know another alike...

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The morning came and Vegeta was wide awake. Usually he really liked to sleep in in his soft bed but the day ahead woke him up long before everybody else. He squirmed out of his night clothes and fetched his rag clothes from under the bed where he had hidden them last night. Getting dressed he slipped outside into gardens... Normally servants who were ordered to wake him up feared for their lives for the prince was known for his quick temper and even quicker chi blasts. For the second time in row a servant was met with an empty bed to their relief and horror. The prince had been gone two hours ago since the clock hit six in the morning...

Vegeta stood now in front of Kakarotto's house, the latter almost jumping up and down in happiness. Kakarotto had once again retrieved to him the unknown prince and now they stood in front of his house in the cold morning air. All the mornings and nights were cold but just wait few hours and the hot day would hit fully on.

" My dad came back last evening! He little injured from the mission though...! You gotta meet him, Ve!" Kakarotto exclaimed and Vegeta nodded, slightly worried. This man was an adult and he just might recognize him. Before he could ponder and lament anymore Kakarotto had impulsively dragged him inside.

" Dad! This is Ve I told ya about!" He yelled and then silence fell and quiet snoring sound filled the room. Kakarotto's face crunched up and Vegeta knew this couldn't mean anything good to come.

" HEY OLD MAN WAKE THE FUCK UP!" the younger Saiyajin screamed his lungs out scaring the shit out of Vegeta.

" What the hell...?!" A man jumped up, looking disoriented and in a split second he had changed from second-ago-abruptly-awakened to mad-as-hell-for-you-ruined-my-sleep mode, " KAKAROTTOH!!"

Faster than Vegeta could comprehend Kakarotto was dangling from his father's grip in the air as the older man yelled at his son and his son yelled back at his sire. Obscenities and threats filled the air and Vegeta had never heard such a crude language used in his life!

" Uhm... hey! Oi! Hey you!" Vegeta yelled and the two turned to him. This was seriously starting to scare him. He knew he had a temper but that Kakarotto and his father possessed such fuses...

" What!" they spat in unison at him, angry for intervention in their argument

" I'm Ve?" Vegeta said crossing his arms. Bardocks face softened considerably from its infuriated expression and he dropped Kakarotto on the floor.

" Damnit dad!" he muttered but was ignored.

" I'm Bardock, Kakarotto's father, unfortunately..." he said and Kakarotto stuck his tongue at him and Vegeta realized this wasn't for real and this was just how they showed affection to each other: yelling, shouting, cursing. If he ever showed his tongue to King Vegeta he'd get spanked for it without mercy.

" Ya two put up quite a show yesterday I heard... that was one fine thievery I tell ya..." he grinned and ruffled their heads. Nobody had ever ruffled his hair nor touched him in such careless and affectionate manner. But at the same time it made him happy that someone thought he had done well and showed it in this way. His father sure hadn't been happy when he arrive fifteen minutes late after being absent the whole day... then again seeing his face red and all worked up after his day had been worth few slaps.

" I promised Kakarotto I'd teach him more fighting today. Ya wanna join and learn too Ve?" he asked and peered down at Vegeta his eyes piercing his very soul to the core. It was not malign and trespassing but firmly probing gaze. Vegeta realized Kakarotto had inherited Bardock's eyes though they didn't have the same effect. Yet. The prince was sure Kakaratto would grow up to intimidate many people with his fiery and penetrating eyes.

" Sure!" he chirped, suddenly anxious to see this Saiyajin's abilities as a warrior. The man had moved incredibly fast before, after all.

" Okay but let's eat first! C'mon, brats!" Bardock tightened his blood-red headband around his forehead and the trio set out to get some food to sate their appetites. Vegeta hadn't eaten any breakfast either so he gladly tagged along. Bardock bought them a simple breakfast that they washed down with milk on the market place. After getting fed Bardock and the boys headed outside the city. Walking for few hours the boys chatted and asked stupid questions from Bardock, they arrived in the plains that continued on for what seemed like forever, just outside the outskirts of the capitol.

" Whoa...!" Vegeta uttered as he gazed at the greenery spreading in front of him. He had only gazed through the palace tower's window at these lush meadows. The grass was soft and smelt fresh and some flowers here and there added their enchanting scents to the mix.

" What? Ya never been outside the city, Ve?!" Kakarotto asked while performing some basic warm-up stretches. Vegeta only humphed irritated and decided to follow the younger boy's example. He didn't have an idea how the third classes trained their cubs and suspected it to be far from his royal training.

" Okay brats! Warm up or be sorry. Doesn't matter to me if ya're stupid..." Bardock told them sharply, gaining a stern and commanding air to him without even meaning to. The young prince hardly kept his temper in check: nobody ever called him a brat or ordered him around like that, training or not! And how come the man implied he were stupid if he didn't warm up? He usually warmed up by sparring with Nappa until they moved on to the serious stuff.

" Hey Bardock... I've wondered why I'd need to warm up anyway like this?" he asked while mimicking Kakarotto movements which seemed to be quick stretches and turns including jumping up and down. Bardock glanced at him shortly, pondering while Kakarotto almost fell over.

" You dunno why? Ha, now---"

" Shut up brat." The adult Saiyajin regarded Kakarotto with such a withering look it nearly made Vegeta faint.

" Shutting up..."

Bardock sighed, running his hand through his thick spikes. " Okay, the basic need for warm up is simple. It warms up your muscles, relaxes tendons and joints, all together gets your blood moving. What's more important is that it makes the flow of your energy easier while you're not tensed up, ey...? It also prevents you from straining your muscles too much so they might get wounded for live... sparring is a good way to warm up as long as it' done slowly, but it's not a good option otherwise."

" How so?" Vegeta frowned. What was wrong with his usual method?

" Battle conditions."

" Battle... conditions...?" they small prince echoed unsurely.

" In battle you have to be in a top fighting condition immediately. No time for stupid warm up spars if the enemy is much stronger than you. You must be able to use every single ounce of your strength in that kind of matter right away and not after five minutes. And why so? Well, ya happened to croak by then. If you get your body used to stretching warm up you can always perform it in few quick movements and be ready to take on an army of assholes... that's why Ve." Bardock bit on hay end thoughtfully, speaking with many years of experience in the battle field. " In real battle you can't just 'say he wait a sec gotta warm up' y'know..."

Vegeta's mouth formed an 'o' in realization and he quickly warmed up.

" Kakarotto! Push ups and sit ups right now! Ve, I wanna see your abilities since I know my son's already. Spar, now!"

" How many?" Kakarotto asked from his sire.

" As many as you are capable of doing! Start now! C'mon Ve..." Bardock smirked and slid into his stance, showing his cocky attitude with his face and stance. Vegeta was glad the man hadn't taken his scouter with him for that'd give away his superior abilities right away. Vegeta assumed his own stance, confident he was stronger than an injured third class purger any day. Kakarott started grumbling on his task, determined to give everything he had.

Vegeta charged suddenly, thinking he had caught the low class off guard when the Bardock suddenly disappeared and Vegeta found him self skidding across the green grass, his mouth full of mold and blades of grass and his back smarting. His upper back stung like hell and Vegeta realized he had been jabbed there with an iron-hard fist by Bardock. Dazed and humiliated, he picked himself up aggressively and attacked again, yelling. Bardock only flashed him a superior smile and Vegeta made another crater to the meadow, tufts of greenery flying around.

Bardock and Vegeta fought, or more like Vegeta attacked and got the shit kicked out of him. Kakarotto soon couldn't do any more of sit ups and push up and laid sweaty and panting on the ground. Bardock growl to get his lazy ass going and join in the spar, made him perk up.

Unnoticeable the time slipped by, the children doing their everything to even land a punch on Bardock and getting thrown around like rag dolls. Kakarotto seemed to be used to this and Vegeta soon envied the younger Saiyajin's stamina and ability to keep going despite the pulsating pain of strain and impacts in their muscles. No matter what trick he threw or how much he planned strategy the third class fighter was always a step ahead of him. None of his fine strategies taught to him by his father and Nappa worked on this Saiyajin.

Sweat and pain, rush of adrenaline and heavy breathing. Vegeta had never experienced so intense and challenging spar and he liked it much. Much more than he should have enjoyed being taught by a third class purger.

" Hyah!" Bardock shouted sharply and with a burst of energy sent Vegeta and Kakarotto flying ending the spar there as the two Saiyajin children couldn't muster any strength to get up and continue fighting.

The setting sun dyed the landscape orange and red and the only sound was hard panting and the rustling of the hay in the evening wind. Bardock eyed Ve with veiled eyes that revealed nothing of his emotions. There was no way this child was a third class unless his powerlevel had gone undetected but that was not likely. His strength, speed and combat strategies used were those of elites and the fluent use of chi was beyond normal for child of his age. His brow furrowed in thought.

Ve... he watched closely the hair that swept up like a flame and the angular, still childishly soft, face lines. He had seen that scowl somewhere. It was natural for those born with authority... his eyes widened. Could it be? The only child ever with such potent power in this age was...! His hard black eyes fixated on his son's fatigued form laying on the grass, painfully gasping for precious oxygen.

How could Kakarotto ever perform such a feat as befriending a royalty; the young prince of all Saiyajins?

There was no mistake about it. Bardock had seen the King in parades to know the boy who called himself a third class Ve, was actually the offspring to royalty of the planet. Kakarotto in the other hand had never seen the King's face nor anyone of the court in his short life so no wonder he didn't suspect anything. Ve spelled for Vegeta, the inherited name of royals throughout history for countless centuries.

He snorted in thought again and crossed his arms. He didn't know what kind of game the boy was playing and decided he should do nothing to reveal the prince's identity to Kakarotto or anyone else for that matter. He sensed the winds of change approaching rapidly; the wind picking up, changing direction. It wouldn't happen soon, it'd take years, ten or more, for the total changes and to uproar begin. He smiled. He wouldn't be alive then, he sensed it. The adult Saiyajin just couldn't picture himself that far in the future or a setting he'd fit. Funny. Always he had thought he'd live longer but his instinct told him death wasn't that far away. A year, give or take. His senses and instincts honed on mission knew this. His body was too scarred, mentally and physically, to survive any bad purges. Losing mate and sons and being on the brink of death more times than he dared to guess had granted him in return with power far above super elite level, but too many times. His soul was weary and spirit almost burnt; death, blood and loss had seen to that.

He had thought what kept him alive after this purge and it was now clear to him like the weather after a storm. It was for his son, his special son, and prince Vegeta... it seemed he had a job to do. Bardock had never believed in fate, but he knew it was there in certain cases and lives. Had he been younger he would have despised the whole concept but the last purge had given him an inexplicable insight and now he was grateful for the people of Kanassasei for their sacrifice.

He would give his everything; knowledge, combat techniques, loyalty and cunning. Oh yes, and a whole knew profession... they boys already seemed to have a knack for that anyway...! He didn't have any purging missions for next two weeks, anyways.

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" Shit shit shit shit!" Vegeta cursed to himself. The time had slipped past him and it was already seven in the evening! Pained, bruised and dirty he didn't know how he managed to sneak to his room, clean up and change into his night clothes. He was too tired even try to go and get dinner and explain where he had been in dinner time and why he hadn't showed up in the training grounds at nine and why he had missed his educational lessons too. Nappa and his father must be smoldering coals... he snickered at the thought.

He had had a taste of freedom, a breakout from the restricting chains he didn't even know existed, and there was no way he was gonna let the freedom and excitement go. Crawling under the covers groaning in pain he swore to never let go. He would rise to be king with his own conditions when the time was right; be a better king than his father; stronger, wiser! He knew there would be many beatings ahead from his father and various trainers but for the first time he had a friend, a beginning of loyalty and fun. A day ago Kakarotto had been a tool, Vegeta had claimed he didn't need any friends but now he had one... and he didn't want to let it go. Never had he realized how lonely he was until now...

He drifted to sleep, a small flame flickering in his soul; heart. Despite the pain and starvation... the word would change.

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**A/N:** Hookay... got little deep in the end but this is how the story goes! More about the 'Silver Alley' in the next chapter where the concept will be explained more thoroughly. Until the next time! Now, I'm gonna pounce on the chocolate and eat it all! JA NE!!


	4. The Wind Picks up

**A/N:** I didn't remember writing this chapter and I could have posted this a week ago... but I've been distracted by my PS3 so all the blame should go to the inventor of that console, eh? Have a happy reading and don't flame me after this chapter just because I decided to m---- Ooops... almost slipped, that one! Hehehee... I'm evil, yes!

**Disclaimer:** Kinohas are a rare breed of author and don't own the Dragonball in any way...

**Warnings:** Violence and cursing as always.

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**Childhood: Part IV – The wind picks up**

For weeks the little prince's escapades and defiance continued and Vegeta couldn't be happier with his life. Bardock was a magnificent teacher and Vegeta had grudgingly come to respect Kakarotto's father's experience as a better fighter. King Vegeta had yelled and screamed and yelled some more and finally slapped him couple of times for skipping his duties. This surprisingly didn't faze Vegeta at all. Vegeta was even more shocked to realize that his father's punches hurt much less than Bardock's did. He knew the king was holding back a good fraction of his strength but still it had installed a doubt into his young heart for he knew so was Bardock doing. The King was supposed to be strongest of all and there was a third class who was at least par to the king in skill and power. He wondered just how many other ignored persons' powers were as strong.

Rubbing the bruise he had received from Nappa as a punishment for skipping his training, he shrugged indifferently. It was yet another day to live in the east side and he was giddy with excitement. Lately Bardock had began to teach them some other things than just plain combat. Sneaking around, seeing everything around you with one glance, creativity and improvisation in most ridiculous of situations, hiding in shadows and masking yourself into the crowd. But above all he seemed to be teaching him and Kakarotto to unite their styles and work together without forgetting their individual abilities.

Vegeta had come to respect the extremely weak boy like he thought he never would. Kakarotto's endurance and acrobatic capabilities were unbelievable and the way he fought definitely unique and intimidating. He only in lacked power and chi and his punches felt like tickling... for now. Vegeta shuddered. He wouldn't want grown Kakarotto to be his enemy no matter how much weaker. His friend wasn't much of plan maker or the sharpest tool in the shed occasionally but the way he improvised made-up, questionable, but well-working emergency plans out of nothing in seconds was impressive.

He checked the time absently. Five in the morning. He was forced to wake up even more earlier than usually because his father had put guards on his ass to watch his every move. Oh screw it, like they'd be able catch him anyways with his new skills.

Wearing his street clothes he had gotten quite accustomed to and realized them quite comfy. He didn't wear shoes anymore for walking bare feet was excellent training for hardening his feet. You never knew when as an adult he'd be a target of assassination of foreign planet and caught in his bed in royal pajamas...

Vegeta slipped past the guards and headed for the south gate. Crossing over the wall everyday with the help of Kakarotto wasn't that good idea in the long run and it was causing damage to his pride: needing help from a third class to get out of his own friggin' palace was just too embarrassing.

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The day progressed as normal for Kakarotto and Vegeta. They trained and had fun. Playing games against each other which challenged them and developed their abilities. Later Bardock approached Vegeta and pulled him aside and left Kakarotto shadow sparring and pouting for being left out.

" Ve, you need to balance out," Bradock said straightforwardly, looking Vegeta in the eyes seriously.

" Whatta heck are ya talking about?" Vegeta asked, honestly nonplussed.

" I think ya're spending way too much time here instead of your home and duties. Ya're a servant in the palace and you have responsibilities, ey? I'd rather have you fill them and then play. Responsibility is your next goal, understood?! If you can't handle your responsibilities how can you keep things from fucking falling apart in the future? Think if you were a king of this damned planet and you completely neglected the ruling, this planet would be conquered via in the hands of a raw civil war or some other disaster should hit faster than you can say shit! Now that's bye bye Saiyajin race..." Bardock explained metaphorically and Vegeta paled considerably. Bardock just didn't knew how close he had hit with that remark and he really had a valid point.

...if you were the king of this planet...

" Hehee... king of this planet...?" His voice slightly high-pitched and nervous, his cool exterior failing him for the first time in his life.

" Just think about it," Bardock said seriously and turned to walk away, leaving Vegeta staring at his broad back, shaken of the information received from the man. Bardock was right; so very right... He couldn't neglect his royal ancestry and studying like that. He was to be the future King of this rock, for fuck's sake! But he wasn't about to let go of his freedom, either. What he needed was... balance, as Bardock had put it. Well, from tomorrow he'd repair things concerning that issue! He surely didn't want to be remembered as the king of who killed the Saiyajin race to extinction with foolishness.

Bardock smirked at the young prince as he side glanced at his determined expression. Absolute, perfect touchè! Little pushes to the right direction with coincidental little words... He explained Kakarotto the duty Vegeta had and the duties he'd have and Kakarotto understood that Ve couldn't come so often anymore and the importance of the duty. ( Kakarotto thinks Ve has to keep up his servant duties and the moral of the duty and all, ok?)

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Few months had past and things were going great. Vegeta and Kakarotto had grown to be close friends through the trial and error spent under Bardock surveillance. They fought and insulted each other like no other but that was because of Vegeta's royal upbringing and the above-everybody-else complex it brought with it and Kakarotto's mischievous wit and unsubdued personality clashed together. Part was Bardock's tough and stern attitude with cockiness that affected their ways of growing up attitude-wise.

It was late night and the mid summer was about to reach it's peak. Winds were getting restless and the flowers beginning to give away to the heat so the tougher plants could take their place. Bardock and Kakarotto were getting ready to go sleep chatting and snapping at each other when Bardock's scouter, spent last few months on their low table, bleeped as a mark of an incoming message. Frowning Kakarotto's father reached for the gadget and placed it on his ear. He quickly read the message displayed on the green lens covering his left eyes his expression going sour.

" Dad, what is it?" Kakrotto asked curiously. Maybe it was a message from some of his teammates and friends. His father had not seen them and gone out with them in a long time and that made Kakarotto worry just a bit. Of course in Saiyajin society family was considered as nothing special or important; just people you lived with and hopefully trained and fed you until you could provide for yourself.

Kakarotto and Bardock were different in that sense. Kakarotto only had his father to take care of him and he was so weak he would have died long ago. Bardock surprisingly had kept the weak brat and even called him a son when everybody else would have just gotten rid of such weakling offspring immediately.

" Another mission. Tomorrow. I 'll leave right in the morning. Were almost out of money anyways," Bardock said calmly, though his inside were twisting and quivering. This was it. No use in trying to outrun fate. It always caught up with you in a way or another. Usually even with more unpleasant ways if you ran. He wasn't expecting his death this soon and could only hope his son and Vegeta would keep the planet standing and well.

"Oh..." Kakarotto nodded thoughtfully and he suddenly looked very small and frail to Bardock. The boy was only seven and yet so much more mature than many other children of his age. He needed to talk with his son, a serious one. In the morning it would be too late.

" Kakarotto," he said quietly and the boy looked like he had been slapped to the face and Bardock grimaced. The brat was far more perceptive than anticipated. " Don't interrupt me and just listen, ey? This is important and I hope you remember this as long as is needed to learn."

Kakarotto's brow fuzzled at these cryptic words but Bardock glare kept him quiet.

" I will be solely disappointed if you fail this, so listen closely. It might prove crucial later on so I really hope you will remember these words by heart. Never waver, even when life shocks and throws a curve ball unexpectedly. You find out more about life and other things... you must not waver, understand, Kakarotto?" The pleading look in his black eyes took the Saiyajin child aback and he sensed something deeper underneath the words, something that he couldn't say straight. He was all ears.

" The time will come when you must fight like never before, no hesitation involved. It's your life on the line and more. You must protect it, but remember you're not alone as long as you don't waver. I know I must say this now but don't heed it like before: she will find you." Bardock talked now in a trance-like state, the words pouring out of his mouth and he himself barely could understand the veiled meanings behind them. The power had gotten a hold of him in the rare moment. As quickly as it came, he snapped out of his state.

" Here." He searched for his armour and dug out something from the breast pocket and hid it in his fist. He opened his hand to reveal a royal two royal blue bandannas. " For you and Ve. Keep them always with you so you won't forget. Anything, everything, nothing."

Bardock then tied the bandana around Kakarotto's head, resembling his own blood red one. Kakarotto touched the texture tied around his head and the question glistened in his black and fiery eyes.

" From the Silver Alley," Bardock smirked evilly as Kakarotto gasped and snatched his hand away like it burned. " For luck."

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Days passed and Kakarotto didn't see Vegeta for a whole days and he guessed the other boy was busy with filling his duty instead of shirking it aside like in the beginning. Kakarotto palmed the coins left of the last paycheck which had been larger than normally and they really had stretched their budget for it to last over two months. Usually Bardock was home only a day in a week and spent rest of the days off world so they could pay their rent and other finances.

" 24 zeni left..." Kakarotto grimaced. He could buy one bread and maybe meat if the shop keeper gave discount. His father better come home soon...! He fingered the blue head band and his other hand clenched tightly the one meant for Vegeta. The ominous feeling didn't leave him. Hadn't left since the night Bardock let him hear the cryptic message and gave him the bandannas bought from Silver Alley.

No use dwelling on it, he decided, and got up from their floor bed. He was just about to go outside as he was flung backwards onto his back as the door was kicked in suddenly. Two guards stood on the door was, menacing and stone-faced.

" Hey busters! What's the big fucking idea!? Ya can't just barge into people's homes like hell spat you...!" Kakarotto yelled angrily and got on his feet quickly, fists clenching. Faster than he was able to comprehend he was painfully hit to the floor. Dazed, he stifled his yell of pain and held his throbbing cheek. He could feel a warm liquid filling his hand and from the coppery scent knew it was blood.

" Silence, brat and show respect to your betters!" Barked the bigger and meaner of the guards and Kakarotto noted glaring that they were first classes. He suddenly had a feeling he could be very badly totally screwed.

" Wh- what do ya want?" Kakarotto asked shakily. His jaw and left side of his face hurt like a bitch making talking a painful experience. The guards smirked, malevolently making sure the kid knew it wasn't good tidings they were bringing. Wordlessly, the smaller guard picked something from his armour and threw it on the floor in front of Kakarotto, whose eyes fixated on it blankly, color draining from his tanned face.

It was a green-lensed scouter, stained in blood and cracked all around, barely holding together. Mouth dry and feeling panic creeping into his mind, Kakarotto gently turned it over and saw the word inscribed inside.

G.O.H.A.N.

His blood ran cold, his black eyes going blank, recognizing the acronym. Go On Here And Now. Words his mother, Tanipu, always said for encouragement and it was an adage from her side of the planet, his father had explained to him, and Bardock had inscribed them to his scouter as a memory of his deceased mate..

" That's it, brat! Poor luck for the poor! Fitting, isn't it? Your old worthless man's dead..." The guards taunted and snickered at the boy's anger. Kakarotto's emotion driven temper took fire and he lunged at the guards, tears brimming in his eyes.

" HE WAS NOT WORTHLESS, YOU FUCKTARDS! HE WAS MORE OF A FUCKING WARRIOR THAN YOU TWO COULD EVER BE! AND I---"

" Shut your pointless whining, brat!" The other guard caught him by his collar in the air and slapped him cruelly to the right side of his face and then delivered a hard uppercut to his stomach. Kakarotto's head was turned sideways and the blow made him cough up blood. With pained gasp he thudded on the bed.

" Oh, by the way... you're out of house and we need our payment... you have a day to get this junk out of here. Have a good day!" The guards marched out of the broken door and took the measly 24 zeni with them, laughing how they'd spend it all on beer.

" Damnit..." the Saiyajin child gasped, coughing up more blood as he tried to sit up. It was really a luck those blows hadn't killed him. His throat was feeling tight and his chest hurt in a way it had never before. It wasn't physical pain; more like a lump of air he couldn't get out. His eyes were stinging and feeling hot and his emotions were running rampant, sadness, fury, hate, desperation. All mixed up.

" Kakarotto?" A familiar voice asked, sounding weak and incredulous and Kakarotto felt shocked at how different the owner of the voice sounded compared to the normal one.

" V-ve... I..."

" I heard it all... it just can't be..." Ve answered quietly, his face belying his shock and hints of sadness.

" I...just..." Kakarotto's voice cracked as he squeezed his eyes shut. It hurt and he was suddenly filled with shame. Shame of being so weak and no help to anybody. Shame he really couldn't even land a punch on the guards. Shame Ve saw him like this: beaten to a pulp, showing weak emotions and as a homeless loser.

" Holy shit..." Ve cursed and came inside to see the damage done to his friend and grimaced immediately. Kakarotto's expression was pained, his hands holding his stomach tightly and the younger boy's usually fiery black eyes were distant and dull, like he wasn't feeling any physical pain but suffering in other ways. Huge violent purple bruises decorated both sides of his face, the skin scraped and bleeding slowly. His nose was heavily bleeding and probably broken and he had a split lip. The corner of his eyes had a deep welt; he had obviously hit the table corner. Adding to that all he was coughing up blood.

" Damn... it..." Kakarotto coughed, refusing to meet his eyes Vegeta helped him up to sit against some old pillows. He spat some blood out vehemently.

" Fucking bastards... Just because they were born with power and wealth... fucking loathsome lot, hell!"

Vegeta listened to his friend's bitter mumble, feeling slightest tinge of guilt in his soul for being royalty at the moment but quickly shook it off. It was not his fault how he was brought up and taught to treat lower classes. Many first classes were in reality honestly ignorant about third classes and knew nothing of how they lived. All they were taught about lower ranks was that they were the scum of the society, thieves and useless, weak drunks and whores, in need of purifying beating.

A feeling of revulsion rose in Vegeta's gut; he had not so long ago thought like that too. Nowadays he considered himself a third class more than a royalty. It was funny since he had everything he could ever wish and yet he was here, dressed in rags, in a hovel going through a trauma he shouldn't even know about in any condition.

The bitter shame in Kakarotto's eyes for being what he was made him angrier than he had never been before and he silently vowed to change it all when he'd be the King of the planet! A curious thought occurred to him at the same time, hadn't Bardock said the same thing? That man had always talked in riddles; something about a wind picking up and standing tall... Nah... it couldn't be. The man was, or had been Vegeta corrected himself sadly, a weather freak and complaining about his and Kakarotto's bad way of standing.

First all he had to do was to learn all the things necessary about third class world. Downsides, upsides; the lower world of crime and upper world of hard working purgers. Also, he couldn't ignore the upper class either... he was the prince and thus could do the heck he wanted in the court, find out what he needed.

" Kakarotto... I demand you to stand up right now!" He bellowed and took him by the shoulders, forcing their black eyes to meet. Kakarotto looked startled and confused.

"Someday... someday we're gonna show it to those jerks! You, you should stand up and make your father proud to have sired you in the first place and not wallow in the self-pity! Well manage it! If we didn't it would shame all the training he gave us. He... he was a great warrior and we should let his soul rest in peace; not to make him worry if we made it or not, understood?! It hurts me too, but gotta keep moving on! For his sake, for our sake, for our world's sake!" His eyes blazing with drive and fire, usually tightly hidden under his cool and regal exterior. He watched unblinkingly as Kakarotto's face set into a determined scowl. Angrily the boy wiped his mouth clean of blood.

He smirked despite the pain.

" Whatcha got planned, ey, Ve?"

Vegeta smirked in response. " I dunno, but I think we can manage to come up with sumthin'... don't we, Kakarotto?"

" Side by side... whatever you do Ve, I'll stand by your side!" Kakarotto declared hotly and sprung on his feet energetically, only to wince in pain as his abused intestines protested of the movement.

" You sure you can take it?" Vegeta asked impishly and received a withering, 'what the hell do ya think' -glare in return, so familiar that it almost made him cringe. Whether Kakarotto realized it or not, Bardock still lived through his son, strongly, never quite forgotten.

Suddenly smiling the younger boy dug his pocket. " Here." He stuck his hand out to Vegeta and a blue bandanna was bunched in his palm.

" What's this?" Vegeta asked, baffled, their minds going totally off-topic to their previous and serious one.

" A bandanna, like mine!" Kakarotto pointed grinningly to his own head. " This one's yours. Dad bought them for us the night before he left," He explained.

" A bandanna... what for?" Vegeta was secretly pleased with the royal blue color of the accessory. Kakarotto smirked mysteriously.

" It's for luck."

" How can a bandanna be for luck?"

Kakarotto shook his head slightly. " You really don't know much in that palace... It's a good luck charm recognized by few but it's damnit the most powerful protection one can grant in the east side of the city. Blue bandanna of the Silver Alley."

" Silver Alley?" Vegeta repeated and took the piece of cloth hesitantly. " What is this Silver Alley exactly?"

" Sorry can't tell ya... at least not yet, anyways... nope, can't do... you have to ask around first. Your folks should know; it's practically a legend around the planet, a hushed one at that, though...!" Kakarotto grinned wildly, his depression ebbing away momentarily and he touched his own bandanna to make his point. " Put it on, Ve! Lessee which one is more handsome!"

Glaring he tied it tightly around his forehead; the same style Kakarotto wore his and how Bardock had kept his blood-red one. It certainly made the two look kind of tough. Silver Alley. He'd had to consult his father about the subject soon. But first to deal with Kakarotto and his predicament.

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**A/N:** Okay, not so much about the Silver Alley but it all will be in the next chapter, I promise! ...and don't kill me, please? (Ducks bullets, fists, projectiles, swords and chairs thrown her way) I think I'll be issuing a retreat command right now... Kinoha off now! Review, please? JA NE!


	5. The Myth of the Silver Alley

**A/N:** Hmm... here again... I have the first eight chapters already written for this fic so update should be frequent... for now. Thanks for all the lovely reviews! You guys just make me blush...!!

**Disclaimer:** Not a chance in hell!

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**Childhood: Part V – The Legend of Silver Alley**

Wearing a scowl that could fell a mountain the young prince Vegeta marched along the marvelous corridors of the royal palace. His armour was polished and shining with all the gold and silver carvings and the royal blue combat suit made of the best texture in the universe shifted with the light. The little boy surely was a sight to see in his full royal armour.

Striding past the guards posted at the sides of a magnificently decorated door, he stepped inside, making the guards sweat in nervousness. When the prince was wearing his determined scowl it was only a matter of hours before someone died or was put into regeneration tank for a month, something blew up or a janitor was seriously needed. The prince marching into the king's office with such attitude couldn't mean good things to come.

As the door slammed open, King Vegeta looked up from his papers he was signing at the moment. Dressed in royal armour, just a bit grander than his son's, he was looking every bit of the King he was. His green lensed scouter was on the table in the case of an emergency.

" Vegeta, son... what do you want? I'm busy and you should be at your practice soon anyway," the older Vegeta scoffed and his son just humphed and crossed his arms.

" I came to talk to you, " Vegeta replied indifferently, managing to bite back the rest of the sentence consisting of 'fucking asshole'.

" I don't have time to talk to you right now about some chil---"

" About the legendary Silver Alley?" the prince cut his father off, who froze solid at his words.

" What did you say, son?!" he asked breathlessly, looking like he needed to take support from his desk at any second. " Where did you hear about the Silver Alley?!" he demanded then, teeth gnashing in frustration at the whole concept.

Vegeta shrugged nonchalantly, like it was not a big deal. " Just heard some guards talking in the corridor about some street... it sounded interesting, father. Judging by your reaction it's something big..."

" Close the door and sit down," the king ordered him and Vegeta did as he was told, scoffing inside.

" Now understand, Silver Alley is something between a legend, fairytale and twisted reality. It supposedly exists somewhere in the city only at nights. Nobody knows where or why, and those who do don't dare to share the information no matter if they were tortured to death or not...

The legend or adage says that the street glows pure silver and it is straight and long, ending abruptly on both ends, like cut with a knife, a piece of heaven and hell mixed together, brought on mortal realm. It is said to be located where no one thought it would exist, yet it is right in front of everyone. You have to see past the truth and false. Many seek for it to prove it's existence and never find it; others stumble across it accidentally forever staying silent either dead or just knowing but keeping the legend alive..."

" But why it is legendary then?" Vegeta questioned, now having a vague picture of what the whole street legend was about. The blue bandanna inside his armour felt quite heavy all the sudden. He didn't want to go anywhere without it and keeping it around his head wasn't fit for a prince and Kakarotto had said that few recognized it. If that happened things could go really wrong...

" Why, you ask, son? It's heaven and hell mixed together, brought on this mortal realm. That street has every single thing that is sinful and wrong! It has the best beer in all Vegetasei, illegal fights and a black market, things from all over the universe. You can commit any sin and crime possible. and at night, on that street none will care. You make your deepest darkest fantasies come true with only a wish... or die by it if you're not string enough. This is not all... You're too young to understand everything yet and I have a sense of discretion in this not to reveal everything to you yet..." the King's voice had faded to a hushed whisper, like he was telling the greatest secret of life aloud.

Vegeta willed his slack jaw to shut back up. He felt like gulping loudly. Without waiting for his son to ask more questions the king continued.

"As I said before, no person in my knowledge knows the location of such a street in the city. What kind of street glows silver at night? I do not know anything else about it; I only have clues and the legend. Many soldiers seek for it every night of their live and they never find it..."

Vegeta's brain was whirring a mile per second, the gears moving around as some pieces of the puzzle found their places.

"_They're bandannas from the Silver Alley, dad brought them for us. For luck."_

" _I can't tell you what it is... or anything else like location..."_

" _...those who know are sworn to keep it as a legend and won't share the information unless the person is worth it..."_

That little shit knew! Vegeta realized, Kakarotto knew where Silver Alley was located and so had known his father, Bardock! And Kakarotto probably knew the genuine truth about the street and generally more about it than king Vegeta ever could and would.

"... mixed heaven and hell on earth...?" Vegeta mumbled and the bowed, formally thanking his father for sharing such information with him and left the room. Screw the practice! He had Kakarotto to find and confront!

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Vegeta cursed heavily when he arrived at Kakarotto's old home. It was completely torn down and all the few furniture were gone. The people on the street passed by nonchalantly and not paying the slightest of attention to the destroyed little home. Vegeta felt weird clenching in his chest as he looked at the empty ruins void of life.

Of course there was no sign of Kakarotto anywhere.

Vegeta kicked the stone on the ground, irritated. The boy was now a homeless orphan; weak and almost alone. More importantly lost somewhere in the third class district. The young prince didn't have doubts of Kakarotto's knowledge of the area but what actually worried him was his weak powerlevel and proneness for beatings. The fact he was going through emotional turmoil and was quite the heavily injured on top of it.

Uttering the last acid swear word, Vegeta set off for his search of his comrade. The palace and his father were probably bursting a vessel because he was once again missing from his training and all Vegeta got was twisted pleasure of the thought at the moment. Duties could go to to hell! He rather trained with Kakarotto anyway, any day. And he really wanted to know more about the Silver Alley.

After few hours of searching all over the maze of east side and market square he was feeling quite frustrated. The blue bandanna was wrapped around his left bicep, clearly visible against his dull colored servant clothes. He swore he drew some quickly averted and shocked glances from some people, but nobody said anything. His mark was recognized alright, he smirked. From the scared looks on their faces Vegeta concluded he had power and influence he himself wasn't aware of.

" Ve!" A shout almost made him fall over since it was screamed right beside his ear.

" God damnit! Kakarotto!" he grumbled and turned to look at the boy, feeling slightest bit of relief wash over his mind. Kakarotto was grinning from ear to ear, the mischievous grin appearing just a bit pained because of his facial injuries. Typical to Saiyajins his scratches and cuts had healed shut, leaving behind thin scars that would disappear within week because the wounds were minor. Some bruises marred his tanned face, still.

" You well?" Vegeta then asked and Kakarotto waved him confidently off with his hand.

" Just peachy... C'mon! I gotta show you something neat!" The younger Saiyain took off running.

" Hey, wait a sec," Vegeta grumbled and scurried after the reckless third class. Kakarotto waited for him to catch up in one corner of shady alley, a secretive smile playing on his lips. They were in the more dangerous alley and streets of the eastern side and only few drunken and malicious looking Saiyajins walked the streets. No sun light filtered from anywhere and everything was depressing gray. Kakarotto signed him to proceed with caution and they continued the complex path of narrow alley, shortcuts and rooftops. Vegeta enjoyed jumping and running around and wondered where the boy was leading him. This was bad district and Vegeta swore he heard stifled and pained screams few times echoing from the shady buildings. The area got shadier and seedier as the duo delved further into the labyrinth of the city.

" Here, come closer Ve," Kakarotto whispered, finally stopping. He was sitting on his haunches, balancing on his toes with eager expression dancing on his face. Vegeta wore a cross face. They were in the dead end and there was nothing there. Sighing he walked to over where Kakarotto was and dropped on his knees.

" What do ya see, huh?" Kakarotto asked.

" Whatta fuck are you on, I---" he scoffed and looked up. " Holy shit! That's--- feh..."

" Exactly! Come in! This is a perfect hideout and home," the younger boy declared proudly. From their crouched down position they saw the hidden entrance in the wall, clearly in the view, veiled by an optical illusion if looked from any another angle. Ingeniously hidden entrance in the abandoned and unknown alley. There was only a little part of the old street left for it was surrounded by ran-down houses and almost could be considered as a small, stony inter garden. An old street left in the feet of spreading living area of the city.

The boys jumped inside; into the darkness. They walked the pitch black tunnel slanting slightly downwards, letting their senses guide them through. Sensing the space widen the prince heard Kakarotto fumbling around and soon he heard a faint click. A dim lamp was on in one corner and Vegeta's sense of adventure was instantly sated. They were in a square room; dusty and dirty, but it practically radiated coziness. All Kakarotto's stuff was there, strewn out in disorder since he probably hadn't had time to arrange them. In the one wall there was old, high raft in the corner meant for sleeping.

" This is cool! It's fucking perfect! How did ya find it?" Vegeta asked, almost giddily.

" Some drunk first class bastards, picked on me and I ran for my life. I slipped and fell down on this old piece of an alley. When I rolled and hit the wall I saw the entrance. I hid in and the idiots passed by not finding me and I found out the gap was really hidden expect from below angle. Neat, ey?" Kakarotto beamed and flashed a cocky smirk. " But that's not all: look up, Ve."

" Whatta...?"

There was no ceiling for what seemed like hundreds of meters. He saw a window that was closed shut with boards nailed over. A smile spread over his face. This place was absolutely perfect for them. They could fly out and in through the window when needed...or at leats he could since Kakarotto still didn't know how to fly and his energy level wasn't sufficient enough for that yet. Vegeta had just got the brightest idea of his lifetime and this little hole suited it so well he almost danced around in joy and sheer smugness.

" It's perfect, Kakarotto, absolutely perfect for I have a plan that will turn this city upside down, period!"

" Great, but first give a hand with cleaning and furnishing, will ya? Ya're after all servant so cleaning should be easy for ya," the third class boy assumed and Vegeta glared and then gulped nervously. He had never in his life even seen anybody to clean and had no idea of it, but he supposed he could learn right now. His mood was way too good to be ruined by such a task.

" Only if you tell me all about this Silver Alley, Kakarotto," Ve retorted and picked up the nearest pillow and ruffled it experimentally.

" You're on!" Kakarotto exclaimed smiling. It was alright to tell Ve since Bardock had entrusted Vegeta too with the blue bandanna. Obviously Ve didn't have a clue just how powerfully the little garbs of cloth could protect them in certain situations.

" Let's get this place into order and then I'll tell you the master plan!"

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Hours had past and boys had gotten everything in order. The place was now in order, Vegeta doubted it would stay clean for about ten minutes, and the Saiyajin cubs halted to admire their work. Of course lifting heavy things was easy and with Vegeta's flying abilities the job was quickly done. Vegeta had once again totally forgotten about time and his training and he spent the rest of the day training and fooling around with Kakarotto and telling his plan. Kakarotto liked the idea but pointed out they had to train for it hard and their skills and powers weren't yet sufficient for the plant o come reality. Vegeta agreed and thus they had spent their day training and polishing their skills.

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**A/N:** Now what is their oh so genius plan? Either you guess it or not it will be revealed in time... haha! Honestly no idea when the next chappie's gonna be out! JA NE! Sorry if ya were disappointed with the Silver Alley thing but more will be revealed about it in due time... its location may surprise you!


	6. The Purge

**A/N:** Hmm... I've been feeling inspired lately so here's the update! I hope you enjoy it! And sorry, nope, the 'secret plan' and 'silver alley' won't make an appearance in this chapter! Later about those, hehe!

**Disclaimer:** Nooooooo IIIIII DOOONNNN'T OOOWWWN! (I hope you heard that...)

**Warnings:** I think the title explains it all, death and blood in order, folks...

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**Childhood: Part VI – The Purge**

Months went by and Vegeta became all the more better at sneaking around and hardly anyone could prove he had been missing. Nappa and King Vegeta of course didn't stop yelling at him and reprimanding his actions being foolish and not fit for the future ruler of the planet. Vegeta so wanted to flip them a finger and say 'fuck you assholes'. Then of course, after getting over the shock, they would get suspicious of where he had learnt such words. No one was allowed to so much as utter a small curse in the presence of the young prince. After all it was the way of speaking that was one thing distinguished him from the trash.

They had even gone as far as locking him to his room, which was of course Saiyajin proof, but locks were not an issue to him anymore. Bardock and Kakarotto had more than taught him how to pick a lock be it old-fashioned or electric one.

Vegeta, this time voluntarily behind locks in his own room, was practicing his acrobatics by flipping around the room in complicated series of excellent body control. Somersaults, flips and jumps all combined together, the little prince bounced around the room with carefree glee. If anyone had seen his performance they would have been gob-smacked and very impressed at his skill. Momentarily loosing his balance and control during one speedy spin Vegeta went flying to the floor, gaining few minor bumps in the progress. Few swear words escaped from his mouth and he picked himself up again.

His sensitive hearing picked up a key entering the lock outside his door and Vegeta quickly went to sit in sulking position on his bed, schooling his expression to that of annoyance. Without turning he sensed it was Nappa who entered the room; the stride was heavy and hulking presence wasn't hard to miss anyway. The prince practically heard the brute's sigh of relief to find him in his room. Rumours had started to spread that the prince was disappearing on regular basis and none knew where he went or what he did... some very wild guesses were being made but the Elites had soon put a damper on those.

"Prince Vegeta, sire, your presence is required immediately. Your father's leaving the planet for the Galactic Meeting and he has important issues to share with you," Nappa gave a curt bow. Vegeta scoffed and walked out of the room, past his bodyguard wordlessly. What could his old man want now? Take over things while he was gone? Yeah, sure. Like the old man would give him even an ounce of power before he croaked. Heading to the space pod launching area and the hangar he found his father with his few elite guards waiting for the launch off. Nappa quickly appeared by his side from behind.

" Vegeta, you know that blah blah blah... Meeting blah blah blah..." The King spoke and Vegeta stared at his father dully. He really wasn't hearing anything his father said. He was completely tuning out the old man, but still managed to look interested enough and nod occasionally when he felt it was required. Honestly he couldn't care less where the man went and came to a shocking conclusion that the people he really could care about were Kakarotto and Bardock. He cared where Kakarotto was and Bardock had sort of been like a surrogate father to him... the stupid system had stolen the man from them. From him and Kakarotto.

" Vegeta? What is it?!" The King asked frowning disapprovingly and Vegeta realized his face was betraying his emotions. He shook his head in nonchalant answer and the older Vegeta shrugged. The brat was really that upset about him going? The world would never cease to amaze him... The King and his guards

boarded the starship and the hatch clicked shut. The engines roared and soon the ship lifted off and shot up in the sky and Vegeta had to shield his eyes from the dust that flew around because of the lift-off.

" Somebody should clean up around here..." he muttered and turned to march back to his room when he froze on his tracks, his ears twitching. He looked around frantically; Saiyajins all mingled around, leaving for missions, coming from journeys and working in the air station. All first classes and Elites, low-level third class purgers looking the worst of it. He couldn't have heard...! All the people walked around him, keeping a respectful and fearful distanced of their prince, looking forwards like there really wasn't any royals present nor the infamous Guardian of the heir Nappa glaring at them threateningly. Obviously they were trying to avoid trouble at any cost. Vegeta absentmindedly frowned at that.

Nappa cast a suspicious glance at the prince when the boy stood unmoving for few minutes. " Your highness? What is---"

" YOU FUCKING ASSHOLES! LEGGO OF ME! GRR...GAH... I SAID RELEASE ME, DAMNIT!"

They both turned around to see couple of first class guards mishandling what was obviously a third class brat. The child was wriggling, kicking and shrieking and the guards looked pissed off. The brat was giving them trouble and unwanted attention.

" Shut up! You're going! It's for our rule's sake," the other said like he was talking to an ingrate and backhanded the child hard.

Nappa laughed out loud. " Now that's a way to treat a stupid trash lower class!" He sounded proud of the way the guards were manhandling the brat. Vegeta was little pale and resisted the urge to beat the tar out of the stupid hulk. He felt extremely disgusted with Nappa for it was Kakarotto whom they were beating.

" Let's go," he said icily with as much distaste as he could muster and started briskly walking away, leaving Nappa gawking at the scene behind . After he reached a corner and before Nappa had time to catch up with him, Vegeta had vanished, leaving freaking and panicking Nappa trying to figure out where his prince had gone. Vegeta quickly ran back and threw off his royal clothes and armour, now only glad in simple shirt and spandex pants and tying the blue bandanna around his forehead. It gave him some disguise. Looking around he set off towards the corner where he heard the most uncouth language ever. Yup. That was Kakarotto alright.

He managed to push past the crowd just in time to see the men shoving Kakarotto into a space pod and about to close the hatch while the boy was still dazed from the hit to head.

" No!" Vegeta shouted and without thinking but acting on emotions and instincts he didn't even know he had, flew lightning fast into the pod as the hatch closed. The guards yelled at him and then shrugged; the coordinates had already been programmed and there was no tampering with them right now. Vegeta and Kakarotto were squished together in the tight space; Kakarotto looking quite surprised and Vegeta just as much dumbfounded. Before any word could be uttered the mechanics of the pod came to life and the ship was moved to the launching pipe.

" Uh oh..." Kakarotto whispered, looking around wide-eyed and looking quite apologetically at surprised Ve.

" No shit!" Vegeta ground out as the G-forces pressed him flat against the seat and floor when the pod was shot off to their unknown destination. The sleeping gas soon reduced them into stasis and the round object sped in the vast darkness of the space...

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Kakarotto woke up with a start. His head was fuzzy and the bruises he had ached horribly. His vision was blurred and his lungs felt weird after breathing the sleeping gas. The small Saiyajin child could vaguely remember how soldiers had caught him unaware, told him he was going to be purger and immediately dragged his protesting hind off to the space station. A scowl found its way to his face. Great, just fucking great...! How he managed to get into these messes was beyond him. Him, a purger? Now that's a laugh! The assholes probably had just checked his powerlevel with their scouters and found it abominably low and just decided to kill him off...

" For the sake of the holy fuck... Get off me, you moron!" a disturbingly familiar voice shouted groggily and Kakarotto was awakened from his reverie in a split second.

" Ve? Whatta hell are you doing in here!" He asked incredulously, recalling how Ve was just suddenly in the pod with him and they blasted off already.

" I'd like to know that too... " the prince grumbled, "I was... uh, on an errand in the station and I saw you being stuffed into a pod. I tried to get you out of trouble but the Elites accidentally stuffed me in too and launched this stupid contraption off..."

"... and now you're up to your ears in shit with me, ey?" Kakarotto ended for him and Ve nodded, annoyed.

" By the way... where the heck are we?" Vegeta asked and this time it was Kakarotto's turn look grim and oddly a little sheepish.

" On purging mission to some planet." Kakarotto rubbed the back of his head.

Vegeta face-faulted, not believing his ears.

" Excuse me, did ya just say we're on a purging mission?" He said in a completely deadpan voice after few seconds of strained silence.

" That's what I said!" Kakarotto replied, irritated.

" A purging mission...? There's no fucking way..." Vegeta muttered, feeling extremely hated by Lady Fortuna at the moment.

" Well, you better believe it for I doubt we're gonna get out of this shit alive. The guards mentioned something about a low class pick-up team that will come and get us if the job's done on time... and if we're still alive that is..." Kakarotto frowned thoughtfully, keeping tight reigns on his feeling of surging panic. He couldn't afford that kind of emotions if he wanted to survive. His dad had always said 'to keep his head cool' and everything would go well.

" Oh great... I think we should check the surroundings and then try to get this stupid thing to fly us home," Vegeta stated calmly only to receive a hit to the head by Kakarotto.

" Hey!" Vegeta protested angrily.

" You moron! We can't do that! The pod is for one-way traveling: it's out of damned fuel and I don't know even the coordinates of our planet. Besides we won't get picked up if we don't purge! This system is made for newly recruited purgers so they don't get sacred and come back home crying and mission unfinished! No purge, no pick up; no pick up, no getting back home ever!"

" WHAT!" Ve screeched in shock. He couldn't believe it! As much as he had learnt already he had no idea that the Saiyajin system was this cruel and deep going. Yeah, third class purgers had it hard but this tough? Then it suddenly dawned on him and Vegeta felt his lungs were out of air.

" That means... we _have_ to purge this planet? Kill its inhabitants...? Clear the civilization like it never existed? Erase over ten millenniums of culture, evolution and history?" Vegeta asked shakily. He was Saiyajin prince; cruel and dark by nature but still a child and the concept of killing and right now purging scared him. He had blasted battalion of annoying guards into smithereens in his life but erasing a planetful of people was a bit too much.

" Isn't that what the word purge fundamentally mean? Clear everything into a state as it never even existed? Wipe out absolutely everything," Kakarotto said with cold sarcasm, his voice laced with darkness and some loathing. Kakarotto, as a purger's son, didn't have such sentiments on the thing that had kept him alive for the past seven years. "It's our only option, though. I think the natives won't take kindly to a pair of Saiyajins on their planet, nevertheless we're small ones, regarding our reputation. We'll be dead when the first of them sets his eyes on us. They won't listen to us..."

Inhaling deeply Vegeta closed his eyes, trying mentally to prepare for the genocide he was about to commit. His life meant more for him than planetful of people's lives.

" Fine, let's get to the work then."

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The planet turned out to be mostly jungle-covered with few small seas and humid atmosphere after a quick check to the ship's computer data. It's natives were

described to be tall and burly, not exactly the weakest species around to the boys' chagrin. The duo hadn't dared yet to exit the pod, not without first checking the facts. That was something Bardock had drilled into their heads; always prepare and check the info and facts. It ups your survival rate at least few critical notches.

Kakarotto and Vegeta also noted that they had no scouters, battle armour whatsoever or even food supplies. First aid kit was also missing from the pod's base equipment and they were going to their first purge ever. This were looking good right from the start. Not!

" You know Kakarotto... I think all the Elites really must hate us; particularly you," Vegeta remarked dryly, after their predicament and state of equipment had been made clear, and got a sharp glare from his comrade, showing his joke was not appreciated at the moment.

" Whatever... just let's kick as many asses as we can and get the fuck out of here! I promised my sire not to die; I promised to change the way of my life!" He declared and kicked the space pod's hatch open and hopped out. " You coming, Ve? We have a week to clear everything and five minutes can prove essential in the end."

Vegeta, encouraged by his friend's bold words, nodded with a dark smirk. Hell, he was the prince, not meant to be handling work like this and he was likely to die when he really couldn't afford that. He had a planet to rule in the future and Kakarotto's words of the promise to change just reminded him of his own promise to be a better ruler and make things better. And they still had their devious little master plan to pull off.

Dying couldn't be thus afforded.

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The humid and hot air hit them like a wall, making the boys sweat in an instant. The jungle loomed all around them ominously and weird sounds echoed around. The data had stated that the folks of this planet were advanced enough for space traveling but the environment falsely suggested otherwise. Vegeta knew his chances of survival were far greater than Kakarotto's since his powerlevel registered as one of the highest in the civilized universe nearing 3500. The gravity on the planet was far less than on planet Vegetasei and that too was giving them an edge.

The twosome had barely took several steps outside the pod when the natives came about, alerted by their own technological devices and radars. Large and brutish looking with hidden intelligence shining in the strange green eyes and decent looking clothes. It took about five seconds on their part to realize their beloved abode was under invasion from the Saiyain race and let out war shout. Vegeta and Kakarotto could only stare in shock as the small army charged, some flying, other by foot, chi blasts building and weapons being drawn.

All the dumbfounded children could do was stare, for now.

" Shit, we're so gonna die..." he muttered quietly and sarcastically but Kakarotto still heard it.

" Shut the hell up already! You whine more than a bitch in heat! What if instead of dying you concentrated on living? You know I could really use a crash course on flying right now..." Kakarotto gritted his teeth sourly, not quite feeling a part of one of the most powerful and superior races in the universe.

" Bet ya could, Kakarotto, bet ya could..." Vegeta readied himself and assumed his fighting stance, on defense. Kakarotto followed suit, determined to live though the hell they were about to enter. Their pulses were speeding up, every sense they had felt sharpened and more acute, blood roared in their veins singing a thudding and oddly joyous melody for the upcoming battle. Black eyes narrowing into an intimidating scowl, confident asshole smirks on their faces they clashed with the enemy.

The feeling was one that neither one had experienced before. The pure instinctual Saiyajin defense reaction to the real battle. In a spar this feeling almost never occurred because there was no real threat for one's life which would wake the instinctual defense adrenaline rush.

Dodging the attack of the enemy, Kakarotto jumped high into air chi blast in his hands he released them into the suddenly-formed mayhem underneath him. His ears were pounding in the rhythm of his heart, everything was distant as he fought with pure instinct, echoes of all the experiences and advice his father had bestowed on him. Firing more blasts into the attacking troops, he practically saw some of them burn into dust while others were only pierced by the blasts, blood spurting and pained screams filling the air.

So be it.

With a yell he dove into the battle, executing attacks left and right, plunging his way through the masses. His fist crashed into a face, caving it in completely. His kick broke a neck. His chi blast pierced a heart. Everything echoed in his ears in slowly as he realized he was actually killing eight feet tall giants, bludgeoning them into pulps. He had no other choice but to kill. In a moment Kakarotto learned the truth of the battle called 'kill or be killed'. It was literally just that.

Fight for your life.

Staying alive.

He wasn't sure when or where but he was flying and raining destruction from the heavens. He recognized Vegeta with the same twisted smirk and distant eyes fighting nearby, killing just as ruthlessly as he himself was. And enemy blast grazed his left arm and scorched his skin but he didn't feel the pain of it. Only weird numbness and wetness he felt and blood began slowly trickling from the minor wound, crusting almost immediately for it was only a scratch.

It was a bloodbath.

Carnage they left behind.

Vegeta screamed his aura flaring around him and blowing the overwhelming number of enemies away. He had come to realized how easy it was to kill someone with a single chi blast. Gone was the strategy and fluent movement of graceful martial arts, just mindless instinctual actions remained and worked. It had nothing to do his father's teachings or Nappa's fine battle strategies. Vegeta understood fuzzily that those lessons on tactics and such were for a commander of the army, someone who'd never enter real battle, just order the army around so less soldiers got killed or certain goal was accomplished. Such strategies would never work on the field... Vegeta felt out of control, controlled by his survival instincts. No pain, no feeling except the mirthful song in his veins, he just fought to stay alive. Occasionally watching out for the younger Saiyajin he was astounded how well Kakarotto with his low powerlevel was handling himself in a fight: he was causing more destruction and carnage than some one of his powerlevel should be able to.

He wasn't quite sure when they had arrived into a city area and when Kakarotto had learnt to fly. He gathered all his power and in a second the city underneath was demolished along with its inhabitants and defending soldiers. But more kept coming. The Saiyajin children had no idea how long they had been engaged into a combat and neither one was aware of the tears streaming down their dirty and blood-soaked cheeks.

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**A/N:** Hmm... I really have no idea how this chapter is: great, bad, mediocre... oh well, it's written and done and again I have left people hanging in there... Next chapter shall be up soon(ish/ner)! JA NE!


	7. The Pickup Team Kuryu

**A/N:** Goddamn my fingers are so dead right now... hit the inspiration and receive pain in you fingers... anyways: thanks for all the reviews! Here's the update some of you seem to crave for! Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** If I owned this the whole thing I wouldn't be finding myself in college... I don't own a thing!

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**Childhood: Part VII – Pick up Team Kuryu**

Vegeta inhaled and exhaled painfully and slowly as he laid on the hard and rocky ground, surrounded by debris and smoking ruins of once glorious city. He wasn't the only one on the ground. Mutilated and scorched bodies littered the area, blood ran in rivers and formed puddles. It was dark crimson of color, the color of the sin. Vegeta gasped for air as his small body ached like never before. Everything was blurry and everything went black and then came back into weird purple blur. He was hanging at the edge of his consciousness as blood seeped from numerous wounds and joined with the blood on the ground. His mind was disoriented and tired, his body demanded sleep and he didn't even dare to guess how many broken bones he had gained in the end, nor how many days had gone past. We're early? We're they late? To be honest he didn't want to know because it didn't matter.

Kakarotto was curled into a ball few yards away from him, shivering, and what Vegeta could tell with his blurring sight, he was covered in old crusted and fresh blood alike. Battered, and wounded and feeling probably worse than he was because Kakarotto was much weaker. That the boy had managed to tough it out for so long was a testimony to Bardock's legacy and stubborn genes.

Everything was quiet. The only sound was his harsh breathing and few coughs from Kakarotto. It felt weird to know that they were only living creatures on the whole planet. Alive...

They were alive!

A laughter bubbled inside him and he couldn't stop it from bursting out. It hurt like hell to laugh with busted sides and injured intestines but he couldn't stop. Another chuckling sound joined in. Kakarotto was also in fits of laughter. Funny thing was that neither one wanted to laugh but they just couldn't stop.

Unconsciousness gained them.

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Kuryu looked around with grim smile. Everything was eerily quiet like always after another horrifying purge. Ruins, debris and dead, bloody bodies. The old Saiyajin had long ago gotten used to this degree of carnage and destruction. He fumbled with his scouter, checking the data on the purge.

" Purger: Kakarotto, third class... planet status: advanced stronghold... purger amount upped to two? Huh...?" Kuryu frowned deeply and glanced at the waiting ship behind his back. He knew his three men that made up his crew were keeping check on everything, including his back, and had picked up two life signals, two very low scouter readings near this area.

" Kakarotto..." Kuryu mumbled and ran his large, calloused hand thru his short but spiky mane. Wasn't Kakarotto Bardock's son with incredibly weak powerlevel? Weak powerlevel or not, this planet was definitely purged following every directive and standard placed on subject. This made Kuryu darkly happy. He could now commence the pick up, though smuggling purgers who hadn't managed, despite their best efforts, to complete the mission wasn't foreign to him.

" Boss, hundred meters to your left. Two low and wavering signals." A voice crackled through the scouter on his ear, informing him curtly as always.

" Roger that..." Kuryu grumbled and ambled to the mentioned direction. Walking leisurely behind one huge chunk of ancient palace wall he found two small figures laying on the ground, few metres apart, almost bathing in spilled blood. Child purgers? Kuryu was surprised for according to the data this had been the first purge for Kakarotto and the mysterious addition boy and honestly Kuryu hadn't expected surviving purgers. Few third class children ever managed to come thru their first mission alive or without any traumas. Usual standard age to start purges was fifteen and these cubs were half that age.

He picked up the unconscious brats by the scruff of their necks and walked back to the ship, shaking his head in anger. No armour, no scouter, no equipment... the first class and everything above it was really out to get the third class population. He felt quite sick knowing that couple of children were forced to purge like that. Kuryu was a hard man with even harder lifestyle but small children of his own race happened to be uncharacteristically one of his softer and weaker spots.

Lifting his cargo up he inspected the boys. The other one was almost a carbon copy of Bardock and only the cross shaped scar was missing from his left cheek but Kuryu was almost sure the cuts on the brat's face would leave scars of their own, the stained scarf wrapped around his head. The boy was obviously Kakarotto. The one on his left hand didn't resemble anyone he could recall but just an ordinary Saiyajin brat, little older than Kakarotto. He too had an identical scarf around his head.

" Scarves from Silver Alley?" he recognized quite calmly ad the realization dawned on him. This could only mean...!! " Bardock's dead, right? That's why you're out purging. They made you replacement for him, Kakarotto? But why he gave you both the protection of Silver Alley... non-related blood brothers, perhaps?" Kuryu spoke to himself. Knowing he wouldn't get the answer out of the boys he marched into the ship, barking orders to prepare the medical kit. It was not like the government would provide his ship with regeneration tank...

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Kakarotto became aware of the quiet talking in the back ground and momentarily later the painful thudding in his head overcame the talking. His limbs felt like lead and very single muscled ached like hell was burning them. Foreign smells of sweat mixed with blood and dirt assaulted his nose and it didn't smell so much of chi-burnt flesh, smoke and blood. He was laying on something semi-hard comfortably and a sheet was covering his body.

" Whatta hell...!?" he exclaimed weakly and opened his eyes. They ached too but he kept them open and a crude metal ceiling came into view.

" Ah you're awake, lad," a voice said and Kakarotto whirled his head to the direction of the voice. A tall, muscled Saiyajin with short cropped and messy hair was smirking at him rather confidently. He was quite old judging by the lines marring his face and wrinkles in the corners of his eyes. Kakarotto stared, trying to ignore the ache in his head and body, not comprehending anything for few seconds.

" Who the fuck are ya?" he blurted out before the thought had time to catch up with his mouth.

The tall Saiyajin laughed heartily.

" I can see where you got that mouth of yours, definitely! HAHA! You're Bardock's brat, alright! Could tell it without the mouth already, your face is definitely his!" the man told quite cheerily.

" You knew my old man?" Kakarotto croaked out.

" Hai, hai... we were pals for years... worked for the same team in the beginning before we both got promoted to team Captains..." the Saiyajin shrugged jovially, " But enough of shit talk. I'm Kuryu, the Captain of this pick-up team. Just saved you and your little friend's asses from that planet trap! You were badly malnourished, over-exhausted, injured and bleeding all over; a friggin' miracle you're even alive! Had we arrived few hours later... bye bye ever losing your virginity to a brothel whore!"

Kakarotto inspected himself and found his wounds dressed and cleaned up. He sighed deeply, not quite believing he had pulled thru that hell. Without Ve he surely would have died... Ve!?

" Wait! Where's Ve!" he queried in panic, looking around wildly.

" That brat with you? He's alright. Being stronger than you he has been up and about for a day already! Damn does that lad have a grumpy temper... You were out for three days, by the way!"

" What? Oh well... goodie..." Kakarotto sighed in relief, " Ve maybe stronger and better warrior than me but he's an ignorant ass when it comes to basic survival." Kakarotto rubbed his temples in irritation and his headache worsened and his stomach was eating him alive.

" Boy."

" Huh?" Kakarotto uttered in confusion as he suddenly found Kuryu's face only centimeters from his. He backed away in slight fright but the tall Saiyjain male grabbed his chin roughly and lifted his face. The grip hurt his jaw and the bruises only added to the discomfort and made him nervous. The child Saiyajin screwed his eyes shut and tried to pull his face away.

" Look me in the eyes!" Kuryu barked sharply and applied more pressure to his jaw. Kakarotto muffled a cry of pain and was forced to look into Kuryu's battle-hardened, black depths. Kuryu kept his face unreadable and studied the boy. His eyes were deep inky black, glistening with unshed tears caused by the pain. Flaming anger towards this treatment smouldered in his eyes; determined, spunky spirit. Kuryu sensed Kakarotto wanted nothing else than to wrench his head away and beat the shit out of him. His eyes were also confused, edges of coldness and shadows growing in them, yet wiser and experienced than before. The boy's mind set had been changed for good, the remaining gentleness and crying ability beaten away from him through the purge.

He let go, now smirking. Kakarotto immediately jumped backwards, snarling, and slapped Kuryu's hand away. Kuryu's smirk only deepened as the brat glowered at him and demanded what the hell was that about and if he did it ever again...

Saiyajins hardly apologized so Kuryu just shrugged his shoulders, faking clueless. " Too bad about that. It's just a test we Captains have to make to the first time purgers after the mission. Psychology, you see, in case you have any traumas from the event and just to determine your future persona from going psycho on us and go on killing rampage on our own planet. I didn't detect any so you really must have hard and resilient personality, which is good for you... Had you gone all ding dong I would've been forced to kill you."

"..." Kakarotto glared, not as pissed off as before. What Kuryu left unsaid was that there was not a person who didn't come out of their first purge without mild repercussions on personality.

" Come on brat. Let's get something for you to eat..." Kuryu said and barely saw the blurred figure of Kakarotto running outside and heading towards the kitchen his keen nose was surely leading him into. Shaking his head he went to the piloting deck to write down the character profiles from both Kakarotto and Ve, deciding that Kakarotto could handle his crew members in the kitchen with the help of his friend. And questioning about the scarves could come later.

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Kuryu arrived later to the kitchen and wasn't surprised by the sight in front of him. The small boys were eating like they hadn't eaten in a month. His crew members just lazed around, glaring at the ever-growing pile of dirty plates. Ignoring them, Kuryu decided to go straight for the business.

" So what's with the scarves?You two related or something?" he asked.

Ve and Kakarotto stopped eating and glanced at each other, like asking if it was okay to tell.

" We... we got them from Bardock... he always told us that wind was picking up and the change was coming and to always wear these bandannas..." Vegeta explained, his eyebrows slanting slightly more. Kakarotto continued shoveling food into his mouth, staring questioningly.

" Wind of change, he said..." Kuryu whispered, barely keeping the shock out of his face, as if contemplating. " Oh well, better get us back to Vegetasei... we'll be arriving in few days, give or take." He shrugged and with a nonchalant wave of hand exited the kitchen area, leaving his crew members gawking at his wake.

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With grim smile Kuryu pushed delete -button and watched with dark satisfaction as the information he had just loaded up but had not yet sent disappeared into the endless sea of cyberspace. He changed the info quickly instead of 'survived' to 'died on their wounds' and sent the file to the Vegetasei's Main

Data Central in the capital where it would be stored and documented. There was always the risk that the boys would be later on exposed to be still alive but Kuryu doubted he himself would be dead by then, so no worries.

" You always talked about it, didn't you, Bardock, you lazy bum. You never would have guessed one of the changers be your weak, pathetic youngest son... though I always wondered why you kept the brat, dare I say you even loved him as your son as if he were actually strong, but I can see it now why. You knew, somewhere in that hard and cracked soul of yours you bastard knew you had to keep the brat alive... don't worry, Bardock. I'll keep an eye on them, I'll give my life for them if needed. Everything, so the wind of change can blow freely and fill it's purpose. The path those two have is not easy one, far from it and their hardships have only barely began... You had the gut feeling didn't you? You knew you were gonna die, you bastard... Just like I as a warrior know when my end is nearing, but until then I shall look out for those two hellions..." Kuryu made a promise to his dead friend, talking as if Bardock could hear him.

He smirked.

" They're both strong-willed and spirited and they sure aren't turning out to be sissy faqs either..." Kuryu shook his head, his features illuminated by the glow of the huge computer screen. Kuryu had no doubt that women of Vegetasei would probably jump at the chance to have a fuck with either of them in the future. Wild personalities as they were, wild in bed would be natural. Both of them would grow up to be quite handsome Saiyajin specimen, nonetheless.

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The ship landed three standard days later on planet Vegetasei and learnt of the uproar going on. Prince Vegeta had been missing for nearly three weeks and everybody was out looking for the missing heir to the throne. The King himself had returned a week ago and was mad as pissed off bee. Nappa was still in ICU regeneration tank since the King had returned.

Kakarotto and Vegeta only could look on in shock as the landing bay bustled with action like never before. Vegeta was quite pale and sweatdropping at the ridiculous hassle. He nervously smirked. He had totally forgotten what impacts his disappearances did to the planet and his father's temper... everybody was pretty much driven up the wall in general.

_Okay... maybe I should little watch out when and where I disappear... no more rash and impulsive decisions... in few weeks, at least...!_ Vegeta thought sourly, while Kakarotto was snickering at the whole episode.

" Man... how they can lose a one single prince this bad! They really should sharpen up!"

" Yeah..." Vegeta muttered and mentally debated whether he should drop by some store to buy ear plugs. He was so going to get yelled at for this... and as usual there would be no explanation heard from his side. He couldn't say to his father and chancellors that he had just purged a planet, now could he? _No, better settle for the ear plugs._

Thus Kakarotto and Vegeta finished their first purging mission and adventure.

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**A/N:** Since this episode is out of day order I think it's time for Kakarotto to find out that Vegeta's a prince... oh the drama to come! Muahaha! By the way, Kuryu means something along lines Black Dragon in Japanese. Toodles and review, please!!


	8. He's but a Prince

**A/N:** I've finally managed to have some freetime! ( No essays or projects to complete for a week!) This chapter's little obvious but the aftermath should be interesting... (evil smile) Read on, folks and thanks for all the reviews! Gee, I've nearly forgotten what it's like to be swept away by the story and receive reviews..

**Disclaimer:** I've got a whale to sell; just like I own the DBZ! Both are big lies and my doctor suggests I double the amount of medicine...

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**Childhood: Part VIII – He's but a Prince**

A week had gone by since their accidental purging incident and the two weren't quite the same. Innocence, what little they had had left was no almost completely erased from their souls. Killing off a planetful of people wasn't an easy task neither physically nor mentally to accomplish. The moment when they had set their feet on the familiar ground of Planet Vegetasei it had fully hit them; they had just finished a purging mission. The weeks on the pick up ship which had to go by it's schedule had been exciting and fun. They had met a lot of purgers: young, old and seen some of them die of their deadly wounds in the medical bay. Kakarotto had said many times how grateful he was that his father was such a good purger to be granted an own pod to go and come as he liked.

Vegeta had to agree on that as he sat on his desk and listened the home teacher preach about the Saiyajin wars and history, remembering the horrid hell from week ago. Never in his life had he seen so much blood, smelt so thick smoke and---

Vegeta solidly cut the thought there, but lately his mind had been taken over by another foreign emotion and feeling which he had identified as guilt and shame. He counted backwards and came to realization that he had almost known Kakarotto for half a year already. Just where had the time gone all the sudden? Why was he feeling guilty now? And why?

Because he had a secret he had to keep in order to remain as Kakarotto's friend, a voice whispered in his head and the young prince couldn't fathom where his guilty conscience came from. It was no big deal but if Kakarotto knew... it would be a big deal and it was a big deal, he realized and blanched considerably. His only friend would abandon him if he knew...! His prince half was an abomination to Kakarotto; the very thing that represented everything he hated about the upper classes. Like every Saiyajin, loyalty to the current ruler was practically bred to them but that didn't stop them from disliking the King and royal family.

"Prince Vegeta!?"

" Wha?" Vegeta blinked stupidly, grasping his desk in shock to prevent himself from falling over with his chair. He felt like he had just woken up from a nightmare, a really real and true possible future nightmare.

" Are you feeling alright? You are looking pale, your majesty," the teacher frowned at him and fixed his glasses in anxiety.

" Just peachy, get on with it!" Vegeta barked, making the elder Saiyajin's eyes round at his snappish attitude and scurry behind his desk in fright to resume the lesson. Vegeta winced inwardly: this was so going to be reported to the King and another round of I-ask; you-answer would be played between him and his father.

" Friggin' great..." he muttered and slumped on his desk. When life got so hard?

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Kakarotto paced the market square lazily, munching on a piece of bread that for some inexplicable reason had gotten stuck on his hand when he had passed the bakery stand. He had just spoken to Kuryu, the man being his usual sarcastic and jovial self. The old Saiyajin had greeted him and they had chatted for a moment and now the youngest son of Bardock was suspicious. Why would the man bother at all with him? An extremely weak third class like him. Like he was under surveillance or something...

Eating the last of the bread he dusted his hands free of the crumbs, wondering if Ve would be able to come out soon. Sure he had other acquaintances around the eastern district but only Ve he could count as a true friend. And how had Kuryu put it in the team's ship during their pick-up? Unrelated blood-brothers. The spiky-haired child didn't understand the whole meaning behind the definition but guessed it to be something powerful. Ve was the only person he actually trusted and could see as a brother.

" Gee, don't servants get breaks at all?" he mumbled and now bit down on a juicy fruit which almost magically had appeared in his hands. _Praise be to you Dad,_ he thanked silently. Kakarotto knew he'd have to start purging for living at some point. As good as a thief he was it wouldn't be enough to keep him alive in the future as his appetite would grow. Up to eleven years Saiyain children would eat much less than adults, though on any other race's standard it was a lot, and from eleven and up Saiyajins started gaining appetite as their muscles began developing and they started gaining height, growing from three foot tall shrimps to even seven or eight feet tall warriors.

His keen and dark eyes darted to the side. And he was still being followed.

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Kuryu cursed himself as he suddenly and unexpectedly lost his sight on the weak Saiyajin boy. For someone to disappear from him that easily must be extremely good but then again Bardock had been mischievous little asshole and practically impossible to catch when he had willed it so. He certainly had managed to train his brat well. Clicking his scouter on he calibrated it to pick up the weakest level around, sure to find Kakarott that way fast and easily.

Nothing. It picked up few low levels none of them were Kakarotto's.

" Must be broken... piece of shit," he frowned and tapped the machine few time with his fingers. Nothing rattled or felt our of place. He had to search by hand and foot it seemed. With a sigh he got to work; he had a promise to fulfill for his dead friend after all.

Kakarotto watched half-amused, half pissed off as Kuryu systematically searched every corner and street carefully. Why in the hell the man kept following him around? Perhaps trying to kidnap him on another killer purge because some higher authority ordered so? No thank you. Not like the man would find him. When Kakarotto wanted he could disappear completely; he wasn't sure how he did it and he had tried to teach it to Ve but without success.

Finally taking pity on Kuryu he hopped down from his observing place and crossed his arms, standing behind the searching Saiyajin ex-purger.

" Hey Kuryu, whatta hell do ya want with me?" he asked suspiciously, making the adult jump at his sudden question. Kuryu whirled around having already regained his momentarily lost composure and flashed him a light smirk. He smiled friendlily while trying feverishly to think up something real to say than admitting that he was keeping him safe by guarding him. His eyes spotted a flier posted on the wall which told about the Royal Parade coming up in few days and only those invited could come see.

" You ever heard of Royal Parade, brat?" he opened the conversation lightly and obviously took the young boy off balance.

" Royal Parade? Where the King and his family make a posh walk around the town with their upperclass brown-nosers with all the lights and show? What about that shit?"

" Well, hell, I have as a pick-up team Captain obtained an invitation. You wanna come watch too, weakling?"

" What? Me? Heck why not... nothing better do," Kakarotto shrugged, " Ve's been up his ass and tail in his duties lately so I haven't had time to spar with'im, either."

" Great, brat, I'll see you at the market square in few days. Be early! I don't wanna get pushed around that much, that day..." Kuryu patted him on the top of his spiky head jovially and grinned with such vigor that Kakarotto almost decked to the chin him in annoyance. The small Saiyajin could only nod in agreement and then Kuryu walked away, tail swishing with carefree attitude not belonging to the streets of the lower class district.

" What a weird man," Kakarotto frowned, but inside he was glad to be able to see the Royal Parade. Just wait when Ve would hear about this...!! _I gotta tell him as soon as possible!_

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To his great chagrin Kakarotto didn't see nor even hear a peep from his friend for the next couple of days. He even went to wait at the palace wall and made a quick climb of the wall and sat hours in the cherry tree, waiting for Ve. Kakarotto didn't dare to wander further into the Royal Gardens in fear of being discovered and that surely would be the end of him pretty quickly. Feeling sad, the Saiyajin boy gave up and decided to get something to eat; with an effortless leap he crossed the wall, energy field not even registering him as he willed so.

_I so gotta try to teach Ve this,_ the third class thought to himself as he landed softly on the dusty alley.

It was basically so easy: he just told his energy to to go down. It was like powering up, expect for reversing the effect it had on chi flow. Not that he had very much experience with powering up since his powerlevel was still quite tiny for a child of his age, but in some vague way he understood the theory behind it better than most experienced fighters ever could even imagine knowing about energy and the usage possibilities of it in their battle-filled lives.

His tail curling childishly behind him,he ambled towards his hide-out home. Only the thought of the up-coming and exciting day brightened his mood. _Ve's gonna be so Kamidamned jealous that I got to see the Parade...!!_

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The morning was crisp, the burning hot suns of Vegetasei not yet up and about to warm the air as Kakarotto spotted Kuryu waving enthusiastically at him. The man almost jumped up and down and the grin he was wearing was out of place on hardened Saiyajin warrior's face as penguin in Sahara.

" Hello you squirt! You made it!" Kuryu said at his as he appeared in front of the veteran Saiyajin. Kakarotto scoffed in response; why wouldn't he make it? He may be weak but he acknowledged the fact and knew how to cope in his surroundings very well. The man was infuriating but strangely pleasant enough to be around; and thanks to him he and Ve were still alive.

Without farther talk the older Saiyajin warrior grabbed him from the scruff of his neck and hoisted him up on his armored shoulder before Kakarotto had a chance to react. "Better this way," Kuryu said lightly and began marching bouncily towards the great plaza where the event would take place and the small Saiyajin hung on irritatedly. He didn't feel like he was in the control of the situation at all and it was frightening. How could one ex-purger shake his inner balance that much he knew knew.

The plaza was filled with shouts and cheers of the Saiyajins: male, female, children, everybody in good spirits. Most of the attendants were wearing their best armors or casual clothes, the upper society in their grand silver and gold lined armours and fine silks standing apart from the crowd. Some foreigners from another planets were also mingling in the well organized chaos of the festivity, careful in their tourist activities and doings under the watchful eyes of the stern Elite Saiyajin guards. Kakarotto's eyes were wide in amazement: the air was filled with the sweet scent of rare sugary treats adults and young alike were only permitted to have on holidays and special days and it made Kakarotto's mouth water. He had never had any treats of candy or sweet things in his life.

Kakarotto couldn't help but eyeball the vicious looking guards with wide and wary eyes since he had witnessed and been beaten by them way too often and the faces were mostly familiar. The man with mustache, for example, standing dutifully in line often guarded the eastern district market square and the small Saiyajin child had received his share of angry swats just for being alive and near him...

The duo mingled about for few hours, buying, for once thanks to Kuryu's special income as a purge pick-up team leader, some food and sweets that Kakarotto savored like they were the very pieces of his soul. Who knew sugar could be so sweet...! Life was good at the moment and if only Ve could be with him to share it. Kakarotto frowned lightly, still paranoidly clinging to his temporary bodyguard to avoid being picked on; his ragged and cheap clothing practically screamed his low status.

A grand fanfare suddenly blasted across the air and people turned immediately to watch the beginning of the Royal Parade. Kakarotto skittishly urge Kuryu to find and good watching place, who only smilingly obeyed and jogged through the throng to the very frontline. Kakarotto had never seen hair nor hide of the Royal Family so he was excited, though he hated and resented them; it was sad that the lower class was bred for unwilling loyalty to the crown.

Standing in front of the rowdy crowd Kuryu suddenly stopped, going stiff as a board and muttered a curse. " Uh... fuck..." How could he have forgotten...?!

" Whatta hell, old timer?!" Kakarotto demanded at the sudden halt which almost sent him toppling down from Kuryu's shoulder, but at the same time his onyx eyes reached the Royal Family and he felt as time itself had stopped. In the Royal carriage stood the King in his royal colors, an impressive figure whose power could be felt even in the back of the crowd. Stern visage and goatee gave him totalitarian outlook and it made Kakarotto shudder unconsciously as his brains tried to progress what his eyes were seeing. The Queen dressed in curve-hugging royal blue was stunningly beautiful and it was said she was one of the King's concubines since Vegeta's real mother had died many years ago: beautiful but cold, her eyes calculating though she was smiling sweetly to be pleasant.

And...

King's hand on the prince's shoulder and under that white-gloved hand stood Ve! The familiar scowl on place on his young features, the very epitome of aristocracy and power shining from his eyes. Royal blue spandex suit and silver armor; a luxurious cape hung from his narrow shoulders, the pendant of his Royal status hanging around his neck on straight display who was to be the next King of the planet. His facial expression was that of bored indifference, which suited his royal persona well.

"... and presenting his Majesty King Vegeta the XIII, his Royal cohort and Queen Parasti and the heir to the honored throne, Prince Vegeta!" Kakarotto dimly heard the announcement and the cheers that erupted in response. He felt numb, totally displaced in time and place as the information sunk into him with force he never knew could exists.

" Ve... it can't be... all the damn time? A lie? A fucking lie..." he muttered, eyes dazed, betrayed. _Of course... Ve stands for Vegeta; a nifty little abbreviation of his real name and all the time I've been too stupid to realize it..._

" Kakarotto..." Kuryu mumbled soothingly, berating himself for forgetting that Ve was in reality Vegeta, the heir of King Vegeta, and Bardock's youngest son didn't know that. He could only hope their future hope wouldn't be crushed by this: fate never let anyone have it easy, eh?

_Ve!_

The mental plea of desperate confirmation rang across the space as Kakarotto's mental turmoil reached that of his unrelated brother. Vegeta's head snapped up a bit and his expression was that of utter surprise for a split second. The prince's eyes dilated in sudden fear and his eyes immediately found the one he hoped would never have found out his secret, the mental shout aiding his eyes impeccably straight to the source of it.

Kakarotto sat frozen on Kuryu's shoulder with expression of utter disbelief and betrayal etched on his dirty face. No, Kakarotto shouldn't have been there during the Parade. Only the ones with an invitation, a silvery string to be worn for guards' eyes to see, could of even... His train of thought was cut off with a knife as he spotted the silvery thread wrapped around Kuryu's bicep. Shit!

_Kakarotto!_

Vegeta's own mental shout registered on the other boy's mind and Kakarotto blanched before his face turned cold and closed. With a leap from Kuryu's shoulder guard, who tried to catch the fleeing boy, he vanished into the crowd, his mental guarding slamming into place and blocking Vegeta out. Blinking at the sudden rejection of their shared connection they never had used before, the young prince felt dejected. The sudden foreboding loneliness choking him like a vice; it wasn't supposed to happen like this.

" Oh fuck..." he breathed, lost.

" What?" his father queried, not quite having heard what his son had said.

" Uh, I thought I saw a duck?" Vegeta replied, his mind not quite present at the moment, but he still knew there would be hell to pay if he were caught cursing. King Vegeta gave his son an odd look before forgetting about it and concentrated on being mighty and retaining his reputation in front of his people.

Determination to retain the only friendship he had, and the fear of loosing all the fun and future adventures took over and soon as the stupid festivity would let out Vegeta would go find Kakarotto no matter what it took and face the consequences.

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**A/N:** I'm a bit rusty but whatta heck! I hope you enjoyed for there's more to be coming...!! Next: Aftermath!! Review plz!! ( Doesn't particularly speed the process of writing the next chapter but they're always nice to receive :)) JA NE!


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